After what has been a heartbreaking and extremely tough week in terms of news coming out of the NHL, for obvious reasons, I think it's safe to say I am very much looking forward to getting back to what I do best: feed you winners on Saturday.

In terms of last week's picks, a Side Bets sweep pushed my overall record to a decent 7-5. However, still lots of room to improve with plenty of opportunity on today's board to continue to push the needle (and bank account balance) in the right direction.

A heads up, there were 12 teams in action last night, so be sure to double-check starting netminders and lineups before you start sprinkling wagers. Do your research. This is a recording.

Onto Saturday's board where we have 10 games awaiting. Will the Panthers push their unbeaten streak to nine even without Coach Q behind the bench? Can the Blackhawks turn the page with their first win of the season? Are the Oilers for real? Lots of questions. Can't wait to get some answers.

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2021-22 Saturday Record (Complete Record Tracked/Posted on Twitter @Flips_Picks)

Gold: 1-1
Silver: 0-2
Bronze: 1-1

Side bets: 5-1

Overall: 7-5

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Gold Pick
Edmonton Oilers @ Vancouver Canucks – Pick: Oilers

Don't look now, but it finally feels like the Edmonton Oilers found the right mix of guys to play alongside Connor McDavid. FINALLY.

Straight up, the Oilers have been good – and not just on the offensive end. Sure, the Zach Hyman-McDavid-Jesse Puljujarvi top line has been effective, and the first power-play unit that also features Leon Draisaitl is clearly lethal (tops in the NHL entering Saturday). But Edmonton has been showing out in its own end, too.

Solid early-season performances from the goaltending duo of Mike Smith and Mikko Koskinen have the Oilers sitting pretty in second spot in the Pacific Division. Furthermore, a blue-line anchored by workhorse Darnell Nurse has led Edmonton to allow the fifth-least goals in the NHL thus far. The Oil are getting it done at both ends of the ice and teams across the league should be worried.

Now, Smith is already battling a lower-body injury that has him sidelined for at least the next couple of games and Koskinen is far from a legitimate No. 1 netminder, so I wouldn't plan the parade in Edmonton just yet. I would, however, definitely plan to hammer a nice bet on the Oilers to take the two points tonight against Vancouver.

McDavid and Co. own a 4-1 record in their last five games playing in Vancouver and I love that to continue tonight with an Oilers crew looking to flex its muscle. Edmonton for the win, my Gold Pick of the week.

Silver Pick
Winnipeg Jets @ San Jose Sharks – Pick: Jets

While scrutiny swirls in the Winnipeg front office surrounding Jets GM Kevin Cheveldayoff, there remains a really good team on the ice that should not be ignored.

Yes, Winnipeg is dealing with COVID-related issues to two key pieces in Blake Wheeler and Mark Scheifele, but that hasn't really slowed down the Jets offense, as Kyle Connor's sizzling start (six goals and seven assists) has Winnipeg sitting tied for fifth in league scoring with 27 tallies in seven games.

A balanced forward group, an underrated-yet-talented blue line, and a perennial Vezina threat in the blue paint, what more could you ask for when trying to build reasoning to back a bet on a team? Well, how about the Jets own the Sharks in San Jose over recent meetings, as a 4-1 record over the past five matchups would indicate. Look, the Sharks started hot, 4-0-0 is a legitimately great beginning to any team's season. But they peaked too early, and for real, they are not a good team, one looking to rebuild with eyes on the future.

San Jose has been outscored 7-1 over their last two games, Winnipeg is going in the opposite direction with wins in four straight, and I think you know where I'm heading as well. Sharks take another L and we stack a bit of loot.

Bronze Pick
New Jersey Devils @ Pittsburgh Penguins – Pick: Penguins

This is one of those cases where I might have to bail on a bet right before puck drop due to a lineup omission. But when the greatest hockey player of this generation is listed as a game-time decision, you keep an eye on things right until the final minute. Penguins captain Sidney Crosby has missed all seven of Pittsburgh's games this season while continuing to recover from offseason wrist surgery, but all signs are pointing to No. 87 returning to the lineup Saturday night against the Devils.

In 74 career regular-season games against New Jersey, Sid the Kid touts a nasty stat line of 38 goals and 46 assists for 84 points, that includes six game-winners. Another fun Sid fact? He dominates in returns from serious injury. In seven games that marked returns from major injuries, Crosby has torched the competition to the tune of six goals and nine assists, while the Pens own a respectable 5-2-0 record in those very same games.

Pittsburgh deserves a lot of credit for holding it down to start the campaign without its two superstars in Sid and Evgeni Malkin, and a lot of that has to do with the stellar play of 26-year-old goalie Tristan Jarry, who reps a 3-1-1 record, 1.78 goals-against average, and .933 save percentage so far. Oh, and would you look at that, he's also been sensational against the Devils across his short career. In six regular-season matchups against Jersey, Jarry touts a .924 save percentage to go along with a 2.50 goals-against average and 4-1-1 record. OK, stat dump over, but this is a great spot for Pittsburgh, even if Sid doesn't lace 'em up.

Keep an eye on the lineups in this one before getting too degenerate with your wager. If Crosby does hit the ice, don't be shy about hitting that deposit button and getting down on the Penguins.

Side Bets

Philadelphia Flyers @ Calgary Flames – Pick: Flames

Detroit Red Wings @ Toronto Maple Leafs – Pick: Maple Leafs -1.5

Edmonton Oilers @ Vancouver Canucks (Over/Under 6.5) – Pick: Over

Flip Livingstone is a former NHL writer for theScore with past experience at such outlets as Narcity Media, Postmedia, and Hockey Night in Canada. You can follow him on Twitter @FlipLivingstone and @Flips_Picks.