NHL Regular Season Awards: Betting Odds
Finding Value in Betting on NHL Regular Season Awards
odds to win the ‘Hart Memorial Trophy’ in-depth, and a few others that catch our eye.
| Awarded To: | League MVP |
| First Awarded: | 1924 |
| Most Wins: | Wayne Gretzky (9) |
| Defending Winner: | Auston Mathews, Toronto Maple Leafs |
| Favorite: | Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers -320 |
It’s hard to imagine that any book has more liability with any other player than with Connor McDavid, who opened the season as a +250 favorite as some books. With McDavid currently at -320, it would be the biggest upset since the U.S. Hockey Team won Gold in 1980 if the two-time defending Art Ross Trophy winner didn’t cash out for bettors. To boost that prospect, last season’s winner was the runner-up in the minds of 49 voters. What hurt McDavid last season will benefit him this year, and that was simply winning the award in 2021.
There’s been just one forward to win the award in back-to-back seasons since Wayne Gretzky in 1986 and 1987, and that was Alex Ovechkin in 2008-2009. If you thought he should have won it last year with 123 points, then there will be no doubt if the Ontario native continues his pace for 153 points, a number that would place him 15th in NHL history for most points in a season.
The 26-year-old is destined to lead the league in scoring for the fifth time in his eight-year career. Listed as the second option is David Pastrnak from the Boston Bruins or Jason Robertson from the Dallas Stars, depending on your book.
Colorado’s Cale Makar, who attracted a lot of action early on is likely the book’s second-biggest liability, and is now listed at +8000 (14th on the list). If you like to have a long shot to root for, McDavid’s teammate Leon Draisitl is listed at +2200 with 76 points, but honestly, you would be morbidly rooting for a McDavid injury to put him in the discussion.
McDavid is so far ahead of the pact you can give him the Art Ross Trophy, which goes to the player who ends the season with the most points. Again, if we’re rooting for McDavid to be out with a freak injury, perhaps consider David Pastrnak at +2000. Let’s continue our look at the NHL regular season awards by giving some love to the goaltenders.
| Awarded To: | League’s Top Goaltender |
| First Awarded: | 1926-27 Season |
| Most Wins: | Jacques Plante (7), St. Louis Blues |
| Defending Winner: | Igor Shesterkin, New York Rangers |
| Favorite: | Linus Ullmark +200 |
We must it when the Boston Bruins signed Linus Ullmark to a free-agent contract in the Summer of 2021, the head was being scratched. Ullmark was three games over .500 for the Buffalo Sabres in 117 games with a save percentage of 2.78.
Give General Manager Don Sweeney credit, he saw what the 29-year-old could be and he was right. The Swedish netminder is 25-4-1 this season with a 1.90 goals-against average to go with a sparkling .936 save percentage. Ullmark is 51-14-3 since coming to Boston and is the favorite to win the Vezina Trophy, for now.
Behind Ullmark is the New Jersey Devils goaltender Vitek Vanecek is the 14th choice at +6600. Talk about value, Vanecek is 21-5-2 this season with a .917 save percentage and 2.29 goals against average.
The Czech has won nine straight starts and is playing for a team who has a seat when talking about the best teams in the conference. Let’s continue our NHL season awards odds preview by looking at a tight Norris race.
| Awarded To: | League’s Top all-round Defenseman |
| First Awarded: | 1953-1954 Season |
| Most Wins: | Bobby Orr (8), Boston Bruins |
| Defending Winner: | Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche |
| Favorite: | Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche (+160) |
So the defensemen with the most points at the midway point are still the third favorite to win this award at +400? We know Erik Karlsson plays for one of the worst teams in the National Hockey League (San Jose) but doesn’t that make it even more impressive to own 66 points for a team that doesn’t win the Corsi battle on most nights? Keep in mind, this award isn’t for the most valuable, it’s an award to honor the best overall defenseman and that has been Karlsson who has managed to stay healthy all season. Makar, a point-a-game player, has missed a few games this season and may tire as the season goes on as the Avalanche look to make another run at the Stanely Cup through an injury-riddled season.
If you find it hard to think that a San Jose Shark would win this award then perhaps Josh Morrissey at +800 is worth a shot. To conclude our NHL regular season awards preview at the halfway mark, let’s have a quick glance at the other awards and potential winners.
| Favorite: | Connor McDavid +175, Edmonton Oilers |
| Value Play: | Pastrnak +250, Boston Bruins (Trails McDavid by three goals) |
| Favorite: | Matty Beniers, +200, Seattle Kraken |
| Value Play: | Cole Perfetti +1400, Winnipeg Jets |
None of the Calder odds leaders are lighting it up and Perfetti continues to be in the scoring mix every night, but he has failed to find the scoresheet in the Jets last two games, but he seems to be a decent long shot bet with Matty Beniers (+200), Pyotr Kochetkov (+275), and Logan Thompson (+700) all falling off sharply heading into the break.
| Favorite: | Jim Montgomery, +200, Boston Bruins |
| Value Play: | Lindy Ruff +600, New Jersey Devils |
It’s incredible what the Boston Bruins have done this season but Montgomery just had to massage the room some while hoping David Krejci came back from his Brice Cassidy protest.
Lindy Ruff has taken the New Jersey Devils from a 63-point team, who finished 26th in goal differential to a point pace of 114 and the second-best goal differential (+40) in the league. Montgomery has been terrific, Ruff has been great.
That does it for our NHL regular season awards preview, , have fun with these; the real betting starts back up soon.
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