Trades, offer sheets and front-office shakeups shifted NHL futures, creating early betting value before training camps open
The NHL is in full vacation mode, with the bulk of free agency past us, though a few smaller moves are likely before players gather for training camps in mid-September.
Now’s as good a time as ever to peek at some early futures for the upcoming season, a few weeks after trades and free agent signings shook up NHL rosters.
What were the biggest off-season storylines that shook up futures the most?
Brady Tkachuk traded to the Florida Panthers. Just a blockbuster trade sending shockwaves through the market. Four draft picks were sent to Ottawa. Pairing Brady with his brother Matthew gives the Panthers one of the NHL’s most dangerous top 9 forward groups.
Panthers’ odds tightened dramatically, moving them into the top tier, alongside the Carolina Panthers and Colorado Avalanche.
In NHL betting at Betway, the Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers are co-favourites to win the Stanley Cup at +650, followed by the Colorado Avalanche at +700.
The Panthers are +150 favourites to win the Atlantic Division.
Weak UFA class. Teams looked to the trade market instead, with an unrestricted free-agent class featuring few impactful players, driving up prices for controllable talent and first-round picks. With the salary cap rising to $104 million, inflated contracts for depth players shifted more value toward teams that had assembled strong cores.
Pavel Dorofeyev was traded from the Vegas Golden Knights to the New York Rangers, with the Rangers adding one of the league’s emerging young scorers. The Washington Capitals added Jordan Kyrou (from the St. Louis Blues) and Alex Tuch (from the Buffalo Sabres). The Rangers are +8000 to win the Cup.
Leo Carlsson’s massive offer sheet. The Philadelphia Flyers’ stunning five-year $90 million offer sheet ($18 million AAV) to the young Anaheim Ducks star forced the Ducks to match, tightening their salary cap situation and hurting their longer-term futures, while shining a spotlight on the volatility of young talent.
At Betway, the Ducks, a team that took out the Edmonton Oilers in last spring’s Cup playoffs, are +2500 to win the Cup, +600 to win the Pacific Division.
Star trade demands and rumours. The NHL rumour mill churned all summer, fuelled by Dylan Larkin’s trade request out of Detroit, Zach Werenski’s uncertain long-term future in Columbus, and Connor Hellebuyck’s openness to leaving Winnipeg.
The Wings are +10000 to win the Cup now; the Jackets are +6000; the Jets are +10000.
Aggressive moves made by teams like the Capitals and Toronto Maple Leafs. The Leafs tore things up, top to bottom, after missing the playoffs. They brought in a new general manager (John Chayka) and a new coach (Jim Hiller).
Toronto won the NHL Draft Lottery and selected Gavin McKenna first overall, who immediately became the organization’s premier building young block and a potential new winger for Auston Matthews. They made perhaps the most surprising move in free agency, signing 38-year-old goalie Sergei Bobrovsky to team up with Anthony Stolarz.
They added a blue-chip defenceman in Darren Raddysh, acquired versatile forward Nick Paul in a trade with Tampa Bay, and added centre depth by signing Jack Roslovic, Colton Sissons and Teddy Blueger.
Toronto’s Stanley Cup odds improved modestly, but not to the level of co-favourites like the Panthers and Hurricanes.
At Betway, Toronto is +3000 to win the Stanley Cup, +900 to win the Atlantic Division.
Besides acquiring Kyrou and Tuch, giving them two elite offensive weapons, the Capitals brought back icon Alex Ovechkin. So, they upgraded their top six and secondary scoring without dismantling their core. Washington is +1500 to win the Cup, +325 to win the Metropolitan Division.
