NHL Off-Season Odds Board Intrigues

There wasn’t hockey at the Paris Olympics (news flash). That doesn’t mean there hasn’t been odds-related news around the NHL.

It won’t be long before training camps open around the league, so now’s the time to begin exploring some ‘trophy odds’ ahead of this season.

Here’s a look at some of the current future-market odds in the NHL…

Winning the Calder

One of the better individual NHL boards to consider is the Calder (Rookie of the Year) Trophy. There’s no Connor Bedard entering the league this time around, and the odds are indicative of such. If you the winner, you get paid.

Drafted in 2023, Matvei Michkov of the Philadelphia Flyers is currently the very tepid 9-2 (+450) choice in this category, according to NHL regular-season awards.

Macklin Celebrini of the San Jose Sharks, who was the top overall selection in this past draft, is next at 5-1 (+500). He is expected to make an immediate impact on a woebegone franchise.

It’s Michkov and Celebrini leading the early-August board, with the Dallas Stars’ Logan Stankoven (11-2, [+550]) and Claude Gauthier (13-2, [+650]) of the Anaheim Ducks sitting third and fourth, respectively. Stankoven still qualifies, despite playing 24 games (one fewer than maximum to be under consideration) with the Stars last season.

McDavid with Hart?

It’s the Hart Trophy given to the Most Valuable Player during the regular season in the National Hockey League. Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers won the Conn Smythe as MVP of playoffs last season, and is heavily favored to get a fourth regular-season award  

McDavid, 18 points shy of 1,000 in his (entering 10th-season) career, is just over 8-5 (+165) to grab that Hart hardware in 2024-25. This after he and his mates came desperately close to an improbable Stanley Cup comeback last season. (By the way, Edmonton is the 17-2 (+850) choice to win the next title, as per NHL Stanley Cup odds).

Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche is the ‘defending champ’ of this award, the second choice (13-2, [+650]) this time around. MacKinnon was freakishly good (51 goals, 89 assists, career-best 140 points) last season.

Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs is at 9-1 (+900), the only other player under double digits as of this writing. Matthews was the winner in 2021-22.

Others to consider include…
Jack Hughes (New Jersey)                13-1 (+1300)
Leon Draisaitl (Edmonton, ‘19-’20 winner)       20-1 (+2000)
Kirill Kaprizov (Minnesota)               20-1 (+2000)
Nikita Kucherov (Tampa Bay)          20-1 (+2000)
Cale Makar (Colorado)               30-1 (+3000)

‘Wresting’ the Defense

Though the goal scorers in the National Hockey League usually get the glory, those stopping such ‘offenders’ have their share of fans. Hence the Norris Trophy is the award given to the best defenseman in the league.

Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche is an elite defenseman already with a Norris (2021-22) in his pocket. Makar is the solid 5-2 (+250) choice to get a second one.

There are four players as the 8-1 (+800) second choices, including Vancouver’s Quinn Hughes, winner in 2023-24. Edmonton’s Evan Bouchard, New York’s (Rangers) Adam Fox and Dallas’ Miro Heiskanen comprise the remainder of that quartet.

If you can ‘beat’ Makar, you get paid. 

Some Other Categories

There are any number of different in-season NHL awards/trophies worth a wager, including Jack Adams (Coach of Year), Georges Vezina (leading goaltender) and Rocket Richard (points leader). Some of the boards are more lopsided than others, so once again, ’do your homework.’