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The 2024-25 NHL season is already underway after the New Jersey Devils swept a two-game set against the Buffalo Sabres in Prague.
While the Sabres being comically bad hasn’t changed, there will be a lot of new looks on the ice this season.
The Arizona Coyotes are no more and now call Utah home without an actual nickname. The Nashville Predators spent a king’s ransom overhauling their roster in hopes of competing in the incredibly tough Central Division.
And we’ll all be watching 2024 top pick Macklin Celebrini to see if he can return the San Jose Sharks to their past glory and captivate the NHL the way last year’s No. 1 overall pick, Connor Bedard, did with the Chicago Blackhawks.
I’m not a huge futures guy, but here are a few wagers I do like if you want to tie your money up for 8-10 months.
Jacob Markstrom to win Vezina Trophy (+800, BetMGM)
Markstrom is 34 years old, but he’s in line for a breakout season after having been rescued from the dumpster fire that was the Calgary Flames. Now with New Jersey, the veteran goaltender helped the Devils sweep last week’s Global Series against Buffalo. The Swede has the right mix of players in front of him to win this award, and he’s part of the reason why I love the Devils as a long shot to win the Stanley Cup at +1100.
Logan Stankoven to win Calder Trophy (+500, BetMGM)
Stankoven broke onto the scene late during the 2023-24 campaign and immediately made an impact by scoring five goals in his first six games with the Dallas Stars. The 21-year-old center cooled off, but he was an integral part of his team’s playoff run last season. San Jose’s Macklin Celebrini will get a lot of hype for this award, but don’t sleep on Stankoven. He was second in scoring in the AHL in 2023-24 before being called up, and there’s a good chance he gets top-six forward minutes with Joe Pavelski retired.
Connor McDavid OVER 48.5 goals (-115, BetMGM)
McDavid’s odds to win both the Art Ross and Hart Trophy are not worth sprinkling any money on, so I’m looking at the goals market for the Edmonton Oilers center. Coming off his lowest goal total (32) since the 2016-17 campaign, McDavid is primed to go off again in the lighting the lamp department. Last season, he lost out on the scoring title and MVP award and came one win away from hoisting the Stanley Cup. The McDavid revenge tour in 2024-25 will be more violent than any John Wick film.