The New Jersey Devils and Vancouver Canucks will do battle on Friday night in the NHL. The Devils are firmly in Wild Card contention in the Eastern Conference this season, while the Canucks are trying to work their way out of last place in the Pacific Division. Both teams are trying to build off a win in their last game. Who will get the job done in Vancouver? I’ve got you covered right here with my Devils vs Canucks prediction.
Our Devils vs Canucks Pick
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| Confidence: | 3/5 |
Game Snapshot
- Matchup: New Jersey Devils vs Vancouver Canucks
- Date & Time: Friday, January 23, 2026, 10:00 PM
- Venue: Rogers Arena, Vancouver, British Columbia
- Broadcast: ESPN+
Key Storylines
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The Devils enter this contest with a three-game winning streak on the road and they have earned victories against four of their last five opponents in all. They most recently secured a gritty 2-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers, with contributions from Arseniy Gritsyuk and Cody Glass that propelled New Jersey to victory.
Vancouver’s past results tell a different tale. The Canucks endured an 11-game losing streak that dropped them near the bottom of the NHL standings. That skid finally ended with a 4-3 comeback victory over the Capitals, led by Brock Boeser’s goal and assist, and solid goaltending from Kevin Lankinen. While snapping a prolonged slide is encouraging, the overall pattern of results for the Canucks shows that they have a long way to go to be a competitive side in the Western Conference.
Goaltending
Goaltending will be an important factor, especially given Vancouver’s defensive challenges and recent difficulties. Kevin Lankinen was in goal for the Canucks’ streak-ending victory and made 29 saves that night, but he and the Canucks’ defensive unit have been tested repeatedly in recent weeks. Meanwhile, the Devils are likely to go with Jake Allen in net, who has the best GAA of any goaltender on either team at 2.61.
Key skaters
New Jersey’s offense is paced by center Nico Hischier, who has recorded 15 goals and 22 assists on the season. Jack Hughes has been active in the playmaking from a playmaking standpoint with nine assists over his last 10 outings, helping keep the Devils competitive away from home. For Vancouver, Brock Boeser has been a steady offensive contributor with 11 goals and 13 assists. Veteran Elias Pettersson has not scored as frequently in recent games but remains a key figure on the ice for Vancouver.
Betting Trends & H2H
- Vancouver got a 2-1 win for the Devils in their first meeting of the season in New Jersey.
- The Canucks are 22-28 on the puckline going into this matchup.
- New Jersey is 19-30 in the puckline market heading into Friday night.
Devils vs Canucks Model Projection
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Final Thoughts
