This NHL season has seen some unexpected rises and falls. Great teams have thrived while others still have shone brightly operating in the underdog role. Here’s an updated midseason guide to which teams to look out for, and what futures bets could be beneficial – or others still that you wish you would’ve taken in the beginning of the season.
I’m going to be breaking this story into three categories: the goliaths, the young & hungry, and the veteran renaissance.
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The Goliaths
The jump that the Colorado Avalanche made is the smallest jump for any of the teams on an upward trend. The caveat to that is that they didn’t start in a place with much room to improve. At the shortest odds for the season opener at +850, Caesars has moved that to +750, and the Avs are showing exactly why they are at the top of this list. Strong performances throughout the season will only continue to raise their stock.
The Boston Bruins, who won the presidents trophy and broke a number of league records last season before losing to the Florida Panthers in the first round, have started with the same fire that they had at the end of last season. Their odds have moved from +1700 to +1100 at BetMGM, and I would still say that this is a good bet. This is a good team that still has most of the pieces it had last season, and losing in the first round to a wild card team capable of making the finals with several of those games going to overtime should not be an indictment on how they will play this season.
The Young & Hungry
The young teams consist of the Los Angeles Kings and the Vancouver Canucks. Both have made a number of good decisions in the last few years in the drafts. They have also traded veterans for more picks to help them build their rosters.
These decisions are obviously paying dividends, namely for the Canucks. Before the season, they had +5000 odds, and they are currently sitting at +1800 and even on points with the Bruins at 69 at the time of this writing. If they continue with this unexpected run, those odds will continue to shorten, so if you are a believer in youth, this is a bet you should take sooner than later.
The Kings on the other hand, are one that I would suggest holding off on. While their odds have moved from +2000 to +1300, they still sit in fourth in the Pacific division, and barring anything unexpected to end the season, look to still be fighting for a wild card slot rather than a Top 3 divisional slot. This is a team to look out for in 2025 and beyond, but their window is just beginning to open now.
Veteran Renaissance
Finally, the teams experiencing a veteran renaissance: the aforementioned Florida Panthers and the Winnipeg Jets. Both teams have their oldest lineup in the last decade, with an average age of ~27.6 years for their starters.
This veteran leadership can be especially important come the playoffs, as Florida saw last year in their push to the finals. After showing that promise to end last season, they have come back with something to prove this season. They currently trail only the Bruins for the Atlantic division lead, and their odds have been cut in half since the beginning of the season by BetMGM from +2000 to +1000.
The Jets may have an even more compelling story however. They were expected to be a middle of the pack team that was fighting for a wild card slot to start the year, but they have catapulted to the top of the Central division (one that they share with the Avs). Their odds show that promise as well, mirroring the Canucks to an extent in moving from +4500 to +1400 at Caesars Sportsbook. The lower odds between the two at this stage shows how the sportsbooks see veteran leadership over youth in the chase for the cup.
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