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NHL Skills Competition Odds, Picks, Predictions: Cale Makar Wins Again

Neil Parker

Last Updated: February 3, 2023 12:56 PM EST • 2 min 41 sec read.

Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche skates against the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center on Oct. 28, 2022 in Newark, New Jersey.
Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche skates against the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center on Oct. 28, 2022 in Newark, New Jersey. Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images via AFP.

The 2023 Honda NHL All-Star Weekend begins Friday with the popular skills competition. Read on for our top NHL picks for the event based on the latest and best NHL odds.

The NHL All-Star Skills Competition is a fun and entertaining event that’s well received by fans. Add the opportunity to place a few recreational wagers on the events, and we’re set for a rollicking good time on and off the ice Friday night.

Here are our best NHL Skills Competition picks (odds via FanDuel Sportsbook and DraftKings Sportsbook; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

NHL Skills Competition Info

  • Date: Friday, Feb. 3, 7 p.m. ET
  • TV: ESPN+, Sportsnet
  • Location: FLA Live Arena, Sunrise, FL

NHL Skills Competition Picks

  • Cale Makar fastest skater (+ 330 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐
  • Vladimir Tarasenko accuracy shooting winner (+900 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐
  • Seth Jones hardest shot (+480 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐

NHL Skills Competition: Fastest Skater

Fastest skater odds

PlayerDraftKingsFanDuel
Dylan Larkin+250+250
Chandler Stephenson+300+400
Cale Makar+320+330
Kirill Kaprizov+500+330
Andrei Svechnikov+600+650

Cale Makar fastest skater (+330 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar finished fifth in this competition during last year’s All-Star Weekend. He and Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin are also the only two players returning to the event for a second consecutive year.

Larkin is the betting favorite, and also holds the fastest skater record. However, Makar posted the better time in the previous event, and Larkin was nearly an entire second slower in 2022 than his record-breaking time six years earlier.

Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov and Carolina Hurricanes winger Andrei Svechnikov are more powerful and strong than speedy and quick, which leaves Vegas Golden Knights center Chandler Stephenson. 

Stephenson has jets, and he’s a real threat to win this event. I wouldn’t criticize anyone for backing two ponies in this race because of Stephenson's long odds (+400) at FanDuel.

Still, Makar is the pick – he should win everything.

NHL Skills Competition: Accuracy Shooting

Accuracy shooting odds

PlayersDraftKingsFanDuel
Connor McDavid+500+440
Leon Draisaitl+600+500
Jack Hughes+600+700
Nikita Kucherov+650+600
Aleksander Barkov+700+650
Artemi Panarin+700+800
Vladimir Tarasenko+900+900
Nazem Kadri+900+1000
Kevin Hayes+1100+1200
Brock Nelson+1100+1200

Vladimir Tarasenko accuracy shooting winner (+900 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐

Look well down the odds list because this event has been one of the most unpredictable over the years. To start, shooters have to receive a pass before shooting, and previously shot pucks often bounce back toward the slot and interfere with the shooter's catch-and-release. 

There have also been a number of unlikely winners. In particular, Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Tomas Kaberle in 2008, and Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jacob Slavin in 2020. 

Veteran players tend to fare well in this event, and St. Louis blues winger Vladimir Tarasenko makes his fourth jaunt to the All-Star festivities. The six-time, 30-goal scorer has an excellent release and accurate shot, and the moment won’t be too big for the 31-year-old Russian.

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NHL Skills Competition: Hardest Shot

Hardest shot odds

PlayerDraftKingsFanDuel
Alex Ovechkin+300+300
Elias Pettersson+350+380
Rasmus Dahlin+380+350
Seth Jones+400+480
Josh Morrissey+400+350

Seth Jones hardest shot (+480 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐

This is fourth time Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Seth Jones takes part in the hardest shot competition, and he finished third in 2019. There isn’t a huge odds disparity if you shop between DraftKings and FanDuel, so take a flier with the biggest underdog.

Jones is the tallest of the five participants, and there's a long-standing trend that the event winner is also the player topping out closest to the rafters. 

Washington Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin registered the hardest shot during the 2018 All-Star Skills Competition, and he’s a warranted betting favorite again Friday.

Ovechkin trades at +300, so adding No. 8 to your betting portfolio alongside Jones doesn’t cripple your profits and gives you a second seat at the table.

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NHL Skills Competition picks made 2/3/2023 at 11:53 a.m. ET.

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Written By:
Neil Parker
A lifelong Cowboys, Cubs, Maple Leafs and Gators supporter, Neil has been covering sports in print and online since 2011. His past stops include USA TODAY, theScore, DraftKings Playbook and RotoWire among others. He's a graduate of St. Thomas University and Acadia University and spends ample time at KenWo Golf Club.