Bet on the NHL
With the playoffs in full swing it’s a good time to take a look at the candidates for the upcoming NHL awards before the regular season becomes but a blip in our rear-view mirror. The finalists for each award have been announced, and lines are trickling in at various sportsbooks.
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Hart Memorial Trophy
Sidney Crosby (-175) had this award won in a walk before he went down with an injury and missed a dozen games. Still, he finished tied for third in the league in points with 56.
Alexander Ovechkin (+225) was the only 30-goal man in the league this season, lighting the lamp 32 times.
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John Tavares (+500) rounds out the finalists. Tavares deserves credit for leading the Islanders to the playoffs for the first time since 2007, but this will be another classic Crosby-Ovechkin showdown.
The voters bothered by Crosby’s absence from the ice should be outnumbered by those slighting Ovechkin for his dominance of the weak Southeast Division.
The play: Crosby (-175)
Vezina Trophy
The league was halfway to engraving Craig Anderson’s name on this award before he went down. Things are a little dicey with him out of the picture.
Sergei Bobrovsky (-300) stole the show in Columbus this season, coming out of nowhere and nearly carrying the Blue Jackets into the playoffs on his back.
Antti Niemi (+275) typically doesn’t get the respect he deserves, but his inclusion in this conversation might be a reach.
Henrik Lundqvist (+1000) had an average season by his lofty standards. His numbers were good, but not good enough.
This award probably goes to Bob as sportswriters fell in love with his play down the stretch, but it’s tough to recommend at play at that price.
The play: Pass
Norris Trophy
Another Senator, Erik Karlsson, had this trophy all sewn up but went down with an injury, leaving this award hanging up in the air. [ad-4437448]
P.K. Subban (-130) gets more respect from fans than he does from sportswriters. The latter get the votes, but the former dictate the prices. Oddsmakers have set their lines to reflect that.
The real favorite in this race as far as I’m concerned is Ryan Suter (+225). His plus-2 rating for the year is a bit disconcerting, but that was the result of poor team play. He earned every penny Minnesota threw at him in the offseason.
Kris Letang (+325) fits the Erik Karlsson mould of an offensive defenceman whose point total includes him in the conversation, but it’s unlikely voters looked past the 13 games he missed.
The play: Suter (+225)
Calder Memorial Trophy
Credit to Brandon Saad (+1000) for a strong rookie campaign, but this is a two-horse race.
Jonathan Huberdeau (-110) may present a slightly better value, as Brendan Gallagher’s (EVEN) strong play in the postseason may have caused some bettors to lean his way.
Huberdeau brings the better name value, but Gallagher plays in what may be the biggest hockey market. Huberdeau tied for the lead in points among rookies, but Gallagher’s plus-minus rating was 25 points higher than Huberdeau’s. This is a true toss-up.
The play: Pass
Frank J. Selke Trophy
This is often the hardest award to predict. This season is no different. Voters have seemingly tired of giving the award to Pavel Datsyuk (+900) after he won it three years in a row from 2008-10.
Patrice Bergeron (+110) is a media darling for his ability to excel in areas most other players don’t care to. He finished first among qualifiers in faceoff percentage.
Jonathan Toews (-105) leads this group in plus-minus, and wasn’t far behind Bergeron in faceoff percentage. Sportswriters have been eager to get him an award for years. The time could be now.
The play: Toews (-105)
Jack Adams Award
Joel Quenneville (+350) and Bruce Boudreau (+500) had fine campaigns, but neither can hold a candle to the job Paul MacLean (-250) did in Ottawa this season.
Despite countless injuries up and down the roster, MacLean led the Senators into the playoffs for the second consecutive season.
A finalist for this award a year ago, MacLean lost out to Blues head coach Ken Hitchcock. There is no way MacLean can be denied this season.
As far as I’m concerned, this is free money.
The play: MacLean (-250)
The NHL awards are given out after the playoffs come to an end, but it’s important to remember that the voting for the awards takes place at the end of the regular season. Bet accordingly.
