NHL Wednesday player props: Hughes to feast on undermanned Bruins

Tuesday was a tough night on the ice. After sweeping our player props to begin the week, all three of our bets Tuesday fell short - two by a single shot - to bring us back to .500 through two days of action.

We'll look to get back on track with three more player props for Wednesday's card.

Jack Hughes: Over 4.5 shots

We've targeted Hughes time and time again in recent weeks with great success. His shot volume has been high all season long, but he's taken it to another level since returning from injury, particularly at home.

Hughes has generated 37 shots on 60 attempts in just five games. That equates to 7.4 shots and 12 attempts per contest, which is the highest volume you'll see from anybody in the NHL. He's firing on all cylinders right now.

A date with the Bruins doesn't seem like the best matchup on the surface. The numbers tell a different story. They've conceded 32.9 shots per game over the last 10, which is more than all but five teams.

Boston is also missing some key personnel. Top defenseman Charlie McAvoy is sidelined with an injury, as is one of the team's better centers in Pavel Zacha.

With Hughes shooting at an unmatched rate and McAvoy not around to try and shadow him, I expect another big offensive performance in this one.

Odds: +103 (playable to -135)

Frank Vatrano: Over 3.5 shots

Vatrano is sizzling-hot. He's registered at least four shots in seven of his past 10 games, averaging 4.3 on more than seven attempts per night.

Vatrano faced a top-tier team in each game he fell short, recording two shots against the Avalanche (twice) and three against the Kings.

Put another way, Vatrano consistently did the job against anything less than high-end competition. The Islanders certainly don't classify as such, at least defensively.

They've bled shots all season long, and things are only getting worse. The Islanders rank dead last in shots against - at five-on-five and across all game situations - over the last 10 games. They've won games on the back of their offense and goaltending, not defense.

Vatrano should have ample opportunity to shoot from anywhere in the offensive zone against this Islanders defense. Look for him to make the most of a pace-up spot.

Odds: +100 (playable to -120)

Rasmus Dahlin: Over 2.5 shots

The Sabres and Avalanche both play very fast. Their team speed pops off the screen, and the numbers back it up. Buffalo and Colorado are each in the top seven in five-on-five pace - gauged by the combined shot volume generated and allowed - over the past 10 games. Lots of skating, lots of shots.

That should bode well for Dahlin. He's an effortless skater who's always ready and willing to get up in the play offensively.

Dahlin has recorded at least three shots in six consecutive games, logging at least 25 minutes in four of them.

The Sabres are leaning on him heavily as they try and dig their way out of a big early-season hole. With a hefty workload coming in a high-pace matchup, Dahlin is in a prime spot to go over his total for a seventh straight contest.

Odds: -102 (playable to -125)

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @ToddCordell.

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