Habs and Rangers Look To Test Penguins in East Futures
For all of those critics that are trying to slam the brakes on the hype train powered by Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, just remember that Wayne Gretzky didn’t exactly do so well in his first Stanley Cup either.
The Penguins are +250 favorites to win the Eastern Conference, which would set up a rematch against Detroit if all things go as planned. The Kid is also slated as a +250 favorite to take home the Art Ross Trophy.
His only threat in the Eastern Conference is Alexander Ovechkin, who also stands at +250. What about those nasty Washington Capitals? They got their playoff hex lifted last year, and served their expected penance against Philadelphia with a loss in the semi-finals in game seven.
Ovechkin returns with virtually the same team, as well as Cristobal Huet is still out to prove that Montreal was foolish for trading him. The Caps are a great investment at +900 with a small futures wager for now, and keep an eye on them throughout the season as Ovechkin continues to prove that he’s the one worthy of the headlines, and not Sidney.
Speaking of the Canadiens, nobody has been busier in the free agent market trying to acquire a legitimate scoring threat. Enter Robert Long, who played last year with Chicago. Lang has some miles on his legs, but is still a veteran scorer capable of justifying the Habs’ +500 odds to win the Eastern Conference.
They did it last year, and the only thing standing in their way of doing it again is a long-term injury to an ever-improving Sidney Crosby.
This brings me to Markus Naslund’s new home – the New York Rangers. Jagr is gone, and with him goes any chance of Lord Stanley coming to Broadway. While Naslund is far better than most people peg him as, he is not a suitable replacement for Jaromir.
This team still comes down to receiving consistent production from its centers. Nothing against Chris Drury or Scott Gomez, but it’s not like they pushed New York over the hump last year. What makes you think that the +500 New York Rangers can do it this year? Go ahead. Give me one good reason.
The Senators are deteriorating and Martin Gerber certainly isn’t a reasonable long term solution. The Flyers remain a long shot, despite their scoring depth. It’s not that those interested in taking them as +1000 favorites are stupid, it’s just that it’s a four-digit number for a reason. With either of these teams, the bettor is best to proceed with caution.
The one team to really look out for is Tampa Bay. Stop laughing, I’m serious! C’mon guys! They already have two of the most consistent and dangerous scorers in the entire league with Vincent Lecavlier and Martin St. Louis.
Now they have one of the best, new two-way players in the league with top-draft pick, Steven Stamkos. Had they managed to hold on to Brad Richards as well, I’d be singing their praises. But it’s impossible to grade NHL rookie prospects, so sit tight for now.
Unlike the Western Conference, the beast that is the Eastern Conference is wide open to tame. Last season, the Canadiens surprised everyone en route to tops in the conference. Their chances of repeating hinge on Robert Lang’s effectiveness in their current system, as well as Pittsburgh’s ability to continue while losing some of their younger talent to ridiculously lucrative contracts by idiot teams.
When the puck drops in October, your betting dollars should be riding with Montreal or Pittsburgh, as nobody else has the type of roster that should warrant your long-term NHL betting attention.
