- Connor McDavid is on pace to lead the NHL in goals and assists, a feat that hasn’t happened in over 25 years, making him an extreme -2000 favorite for the Hart Memorial Trophy.
- Each of the awards has a favorite with odds -210 or shorter, making them mostly decided with about 20 games left to go.
- The most likely upset by the odds would be David Pastrnak for the Rocket Richard Trophy (+300) but he remains eight goals behind McDavid with just one less game played.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The NHL season is entering the home stretch with 20-24 games remaining and many of the favorites for the end of season NHL awards are beginning to widen the gap.
The main trophies are the Hart Memorial (MVP), Vezina (best goaltender), James Norris (best defenseman), Calder Memorial (rookie of the year) and the Rocket Richard (most goals).
Connor McDavid in particular is in the midst of a generational type of season where he is on pace to lead the NHL in goals and assists, which has not happened since the 1995-1996 season. This unreal accomplishment has made online gambling sites put McDavid as a no doubter favorite for the Hart Memorial Trophy at -2000 odds.
NHL Award Trophies Top 3 Odds
| Award | Favorite | Second Favorite | Third Favorite |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hart Memorial Trophy | Connor McDavid -2000 | Linus Ullmark +2200 | David Pastrnak +2500 |
| Vezina Trophy | Linus Ullmark -325 | Ilya Sorokin +750 | Connor Hellebuyck +800 |
| James Norris Memorial Trophy | Erik Karlsson -210 | Adam Fox +425 | Rasmus Dahlin +700 |
| Calder Trophy | Matty Beniers -350 | Mason McTavish +800 | Cole Perfetti +1400 |
| Rocket Richard Trophy | Connor McDavid -400 | David Pastrnak +300 | Tage Thompson +1400 |
McDavid is near-guarantee for MVP
The Hart Memorial Trophy has essentially been decided, even with 20+ games to go McDavid will not relinquish his massive lead. McDavid currently has a lead of 26 for points, eight for goals, and two for assists.
If everything stands as is, McDavid will be the first player to lead the league in both goals and assists since Mario Lemieux in the 95-96 season and would be the first to lead in both categories outright since Wayne Gretzky in the 86-87 season.
With -2000 odds, there is no challenger or other player to bet on that can reasonably win it, it is simply McDavid’s trophy already.
Ullmark Unlikely to Relinquish Lead
Linus Ullmark comes in with -325 odds to win the Vezina Trophy. Ullmark is currently leading all goaltenders in save percentage, wins, least losses (min. 30 games), and goals allowed per game.
Despite playing seven less games than the second winningest goaltender, Ullmark leads by three wins. Relative to the other massive odds, -325 presents a solid value as Ullmark would have to perform atrociously in the last quarter of the season to even have a chance at fumbling away the trophy. Lastly, Ullmark was even able to get the extremely rare goalie goal, becoming just the eighth goalie ever to shoot and score.
Karlsson Presents Solid Value
The James Norris Trophy goes to the best defenseman each year, and it is shaping up to be Erik Karlsson.
Karlsson currently leads all defenseman with 19 goals and 58 assists. His blend of solid scoring and incredible passing makes him among the most valuable two-way players in the league. Adam Fox (+425) is the only real challenger and is mainly propped up by his huge +25 +/-, much higher than Karlsson’s -4.
However, this can mostly be chalked up to the New York Rangers being a far better team than the San Jose Sharks and with Karlsson leading in nearly every other stat, his -210 odds is likely the best value awards bet available on NHL sportsbooks.
Beniers Widens Gap, is Now Favored
Matty Beniers has been very impressive this year for the Seattle Kraken, and has now established himself as the -350 odds-on-favorite.
Among all rookies, Beniers leads in goals (19) and points (42) while being third in assists (23). Mason McTavish is a noteworthy longshot at +800, as he is just seven points behind Beniers with six less goals and one less assist. Though, even if McTavish were to close the gap voters may very well give it to Beniers for his role as the second leading goal scorer on a winning team that will be fighting for a playoff spot as opposed to McTavish who is on arguably the worst team in the league.
McDavid Leads Pastrnak for Rocket Richard Trophy
The Rocket Richard Trophy is awarded to the top goal scorer on the year. To no surprise McDavid (-400) is leading with 50 on the year with David Pastrnak (+300) trailing him at 42 along with 41 from Tage Thompson.
While there is certainly the possibility that Pastrnak steps it up while McDavid falters, it would be a difficult task with only one game of difference. Tage Thompson (+1400) has a chance to do so due to the Buffalo Sabres having the second easiest schedule remaining, but with the Edmonton Oilers vying for a playoff spot in a very tight race, McDavid has plenty of motivation to keep scoring and leading his team to victory.