Connor Hellebuyck is the best goaltender in the world. Our expert NHL predictions expect the star goaltender to keep the Canucks in check tonight.

Before the great Cale Makar wore No. 8, there was another No. 8 who was pretty great. Ahead of the 1996 Stanley Cup-winning Avalanche team being honored Dec. 11, the current No. 8 showed some respect to the man who came before him.

Barron (IR), as well as forward Cole Smith (IR), both practiced on Friday. Preds Head Coach Andrew Brunette said following the session there are some players ready to return to the lineup from injury. Nashville has dressed 11 forwards and seven defensemen over the past two wins.

Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon reclaimed the scoring lead from Connor McDavid in a 5-3 victory over the Kraken on Tuesday night.

The NHL's regular season is nearly at the halfway point. Every team has played more than 30 games in their schedule and it's becoming crystal clear where these

Expert recap and game analysis of the Colorado Avalanche vs. Seattle Kraken NHL game from December 16, 2025 on ESPN.

Colorado is by far the best team in hockey, and my Avalanche vs. Kraken predictions and NHL picks expect that dominance to continue. The Colorado Avalanche are on pace for a historic season, as they have just two regulation losses through their first 32 games. Unsurprisingly, they rank first in the majority of statistics across the board.

Nelson scored a power-play goal on seven shots in Tuesday's 5-3 win over the Kraken.