NHL Thursday Preview: 12 Games Headline Busy Slate

Twelve NHL games are scheduled for Thursday, October 22, including a 10 p.m. ET clash between the Central Division-leading Utah Mammoth and the Seattle Kraken.

Twelve NHL games are scheduled for Thursday, October 22, 2026. The slate includes a potential Stanley Cup Final preview between the Carolina Hurricanes and Edmonton Oilers at 9 p.m. ET, a matchup Stathletes projections give a 2.51% chance of occurring. Edmonton features top scorers Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Evan Bouchard, while Carolina is led by Sebastian Aho.

In the New York region, the Rangers face the Toronto Maple Leafs at 7 p.m. ET. New York enters the contest following breakout performances by goaltender Dylan Garand, while Toronto is paced by Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and newcomer Kirill Marchenko. Simultaneously, the New Jersey Devils (-198) host the Anaheim Ducks, who are currently on a four-game losing streak.

The Los Angeles Kings visit the New York Islanders at 7:30 p.m. ET on Disney+. The Kings recently secured their first win of the season, a 5-2 victory, and will face Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin, who ranks fourth in the league with a 1.72 goals-against average and a .934 save percentage.

In the Western Conference, the Utah Mammoth lead the Central Division with a 10-game start and face the Seattle Kraken at 10 p.m. ET. The Vancouver Canucks enter their 10 p.m. ET game against the Detroit Red Wings having lost eight consecutive contests. Meanwhile, the Winnipeg Jets have lost three straight games heading into an 8 p.m. ET matchup against the Dallas Stars, who are currently on a three-game winning streak.

Other Thursday matchups include the Nashville Predators at Boston Bruins, San Jose Sharks at Ottawa Senators, Florida Panthers at Pittsburgh Penguins, Vegas Golden Knights at St. Louis Blues, and Minnesota Wild at Calgary Flames.