Hockey Time With Poker Pro Daniel Negreanu - Predictions and Podcast Prognosticating

16 Jul 2024

Sean Chaffin 16 Jul 2024

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Canadian poker pro Daniel Negreanu offers his NHL predictions
The poker star chatted on The Money Line podcast
Get the six-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner's picks

Daniel Negreanu (PokerGO)

It’s no secret that Canadian poker pro Daniel Negreanu is quite the hockey fan. The six-time World Series of Poker bracelet winner is a lifelong Toronto Maple Leafs supporter and also spends plenty of his time checking out the Vegas Golden Knights.

As the NHL playoffs got into full swing, the GGPoker ambassador offered up his own predictions and even appeared on The Money Line podcast to talk some stick and puck.

A look at Negreanu’s NHL predictions

While the Boston Bruins may have set the league record with 135 points in the standings, Negreanu chose another team to take the Stanley Cup this year. He locks in the Bruins to make the finals but falling to the Dallas Stars.

“Only because I think Boston has a much tougher road to get there and that may give Dallas an edge,” he noted on Twitter.

The Stars are locked in a tough series, tied 1-1 with the Wild as Game 3 is set for Friday night in Minnesota. The Bruins also find themselves tied 1-1 with a spry Florida Panthers team. The two teams were also set to play Game 3 on Friday.

As far as his favored Leafs and Golden Knights, Negreanu has both teams falling in the second round. That includes Toronto bowing out to Edmonton and Vegas fallking to Dallas.

Breaking down more of the playoffs

With three Canadian teams also in the postseason, many may be wondering if this is the year the great white north hoists the Stanley Cup. It’s been 30 years since the Montreal Canadiens won the title, the last Canadian team to do so.

Negreanu obviously doesn’t see that happening this year based on his breakdown, despite Toronto, Edmonton, and WInnipeg all qualifying for the postseason.

“It’s really cool to actually see some Canadian teams in the mix,” he said on podcast. “The one team that I would say is sort of a step below is the Winnipeg Jets, not to suggest that they can’t win that first-round matchup against the Knights. They absolutely can. It’s really a closer toss-up between the Edmonton Oilers and the Toronto Maple Leafs.”

If a Canadian team emerges to make a deep run, Negreanu points to Edmonton with an easier road to the finals, led by superstar forward Connor McDavid.

The Oilers are currently tied with the L.A. Kings 1-1 and would face the winner of Vegas-Winnipeg. Toronto would face Boston or Florida in the second round then possibly another tough foe in the Eastern Conference finals.

Negreanu has been known to post some of his NHL wagers online and is dialled into every playoff matchup. That Included checking out some Game 1 action of the Knights-Jets with some interesting fans seated right in front of his group.

At the poker table

With the World Series of Poker approaching, Negreanu is ready to head back to the tables. He now has more than $50 million in live tournament winnings and loves the WSOP, which you can enter at GGPoker (use the code wired as a new customer).

In October, he took the title in the $300,000 Super High Roller Bowl VII for more than $3.3 million. That was followed by a deep run in the WPT World Championship in December, taking 17th for $176,200.

More recently, he also grabbed some nice scores in several PokerGO events including two third-place finishes and a runner-up. As the massive WSOP gets closer, getting prepared was on the agenda and the poker pro offered a look at how he’s gearing up.