A matchup against the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final is at stake when the Toronto Maple Leafs host the reigning champion Florida Panthers for Game 7 of their second-round series in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs on Sunday. After winning the first two games of the showdown between the Atlantic Division rivals, Toronto lost the next three contests but staved off elimination with a 2-0 triumph in Game 6 at Florida.
Three-time Maurice Richard Trophy winner Auston Matthews scored his first goal of the series and third of the playoffs at 6:20 of the third period on Friday to snap a scoreless tie. Max Pacioretty added insurance with 5:43 remaining and Joseph Woll made 22 saves en route to his first career postseason shutout.
The Panthers are 3-1 all-time in Game 7s, including a 2-0 mark on the road. The Maple Leafs own a 12-15 record and have lost six straight. Florida is seeking its third consecutive trip to the Eastern Conference Final while Toronto vying for its first appearance since 2002, when it lost to Carolina in six games.
Here are some players with value to consider when making NHL player props for Sunday’s Game 7.
William Nylander, Maple Leafs: anytime goal scorer (+190, FanDuel)
Nylander is tied for fourth in the NHL with six goals this postseason. The 29-year-old right wing is mired in a four-game drought for the second time in these playoffs, but he ended the first one with a two-goal performance against the Ottawa Senators in Game 6 of Toronto’s first-round series. Nylander hasn’t gone five consecutive contests without a tally since Feb. 6-25, and I expect him to come through in the Maple Leafs’ biggest game in more than two decades.
Aleksander Barkov, Panthers: 1+ assist (+105, DraftKings)
Barkov registered four assists in his first four games this postseason but has notched just one in his last seven contests. The 29-year-old captain recorded 14 assists during the Panthers’ run to the Stanley Cup championship last year and has amassed 45 in 82 career playoff games. I like Barkov to be more involved in Florida’s offense on Sunday.
Sam Reinhart, Panthers: anytime goal scorer (+210, FanDuel)
Reinhart has scored just once in the first six games of the series and three times over 11 contests this postseason. But the 29-year-old center has produced in Game 7 for the Panthers in the past, tallying against the Boston Bruins in the first round of the 2023 playoffs and recording the winning goal in the Stanley Cup Final versus the Edmonton Oilers last year. It wouldn’t be surprising in the least if Reinhart converted in Sunday’s contest.
Carter Verhaeghe, Panthers: 1+ point (-111, FanDuel)
Like Reinhart, Verhaeghe has come up big in Game 7s for the Panthers. The 29-year-old also scored the last two times Florida played in the seventh game of a postsason series, with his goal against the Bruins in 2023 coming in overtime. Verhaeghe also notched an assist in each of those Game 7s, so selecting him to register a point against the Maple Leafs is a solid bet.
Brad Marchand, Panthers: 1+ assist (+255, FanDuel)
The Panthers acquired Marchand for moments like this, as the 37-year-old center is about to appear in the 13th Game 7 of his career, which will tie him with Patrick Roy and Scott Stevens for third-most in NHL playoff history. He has recorded only four assists in his previous 12 Game 7s while with the Boston Bruins, but two of them came against the Maple Leafs – one in 2013 and another in 2018. Marchand is tied for the team lead with seven assists this postseason and has notched three in this series – all in Toronto. I wouldn’t bet against the grizzled veteran registering another one on Sunday.
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