Best NHL futures bets for 2022-23 season: Crosby worth to be MVP

With the NHL season rolling, now is the time for fans and bettors to really start scouring the futures markets.

There’s no shortage of markets for fans to bet on, from picking your team to win the Stanley Cup to betting on various player awards. We’ve searched through the high and low futures bets available at NorthStar Bets to select a few of our favourites.

Here are our best NHL futures bets for the 2022-23 season, sorted by team and player markets.

Odds as of 5:09 p.m. on 07/10/2022.

Hurricanes win the Stanley Cup (+1,100): Carolina has been a regular in the postseason and has qualified for the playoffs for the past four years. However, since losing to the Boston Bruins in the 2019 Conference Finals, the Canes have not made it to the second round.

However, the Hurricanes made a few trades this offseason that addressed some key issues. The team acquired Brent Burns and Max Pacioretty and both should provide the scoring opportunities and leadership that this group has lacked in recent years.

Antti Raanta’s .922 postseason save rate in 2022 showed he can step up when needed and a healthy Frederik Andersen will also make a difference.

Ducks to make the playoffs (+450): Anaheim ticks many boxes when it comes to picking a team to make a big step up from last year.

The Ducks have an intriguing young core led by Trevor Zegras, Troy Terry, Mason McTavish (more on him later) and back-end Jamie Drysdale. General manager Pat Verbeek has also been busy bringing on experienced talent to take the pressure off the youngsters, bringing in John Klingberg, Ryan Strome and Frank Vatrano.

The stability that John Gibson brings to this young squad is also incredibly valuable. The pieces are in place for Anaheim to take a leap and earn a playoff spot in the west.

Blue Jackets make the playoffs (+350): Johnny Gaudreau finished second in the NHL last season with 115 points, so winning him is no small feat. The winger will give Columbus a legitimate playmaker threat, something the team have lacked since Artemi Panarin’s departure.

Questions about the Blue Jackets fall squarely on goalies and defense. They ranked 28th on the allowable high-risk odds with a 1,056 according to the Natural Stat trick, which was instrumental in causing Joonas Korpisalo and Elvis Merzlikins to have the worst seasons of their careers.

The hope is that youngsters like Adam Boqvist, Andrew Peeke and Jake Bean can develop and strengthen the unit as the only signing this off-season was Erik Gudbranson and he will not solve their problems.

Red Wings make the playoffs (+275): There are a number of similarities between Detroit and Anaheim, which is why both cracked the list.

It’s hard to ignore just how talented the Red Wings’ young core is. Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider (more on him to follow) burst onto the scene last year and made an immediate impact.

Other talent from Detroit’s many years of early drafting will also make their way to the NHL, with Simon Edvinsson likely to join the club’s blueline.

General manager Steve Yzerman has been very active in the offseason, bringing in veterans Andrew Copp, Ben Chiarot, Ville Husso, Dominik Kubalik, Olli Maatta and David Perron. These additions add depth to a roster that was lacking in this department.

Kings missing the playoffs (+147): The Kings were a surprise playoff team in 2021-22, and it took a lot of overachievement from key members to get there.

Jonathan Quick enjoyed an extremely unlikely career revival, posting a .910 save rate after posting a .896 mark in his last three campaigns. Phillip Danault, Adrian Kempe and Trevor Moore all set new career highs in goals and Alex Iafallo matched his previous best.

General manager Rob Blake has taken over Kevin Fiala, but that may not be enough to weather the looming negative regression. We’re not sold on defense outside of Drew Doughty either.

Capitals missing the playoffs (+130): Washington is getting on in years. Nicklas Backstrom (off-season hip surgery) is out indefinitely with no schedule for a return, while Tom Wilson recovers from a cruciate ligament rupture he sustained last postseason.

Both of those losses could severely hamper caps in the early stages, losing them significant ground in an increasingly competitive East.

General manager Brian MacLellan brought in Connor Brown, Darcy Kuemper and Dylan Strome to bolster a group that hasn’t won a playoff series since winning the Stanley Cup in 2018. Those signings won’t be enough to keep Washington busy while its injured stars recover.

The best NHL futures bets: players

Odds as of 5:09 p.m. on 07/10/2022.

Crosby wins the Hart Trophy (+5,000): There is value in Sidney Crosby winning the Hart Trophy in 2022-23, and that’s because of how important he remains to the Pens.

Across the board, he’s the most reliable player on the team and a key reason Pittsburgh remains a consistent postseason qualifier.

Crosby ranked first on the roster in goals-per-percent (66.86) and PDO (91.036) according to Natural Stat Trick last year, showing his ability to make it at both ends of the ice.

The Pittsburgh captain is just a season away from finishing fourth in the voting for that award. He scored 31 goals and 84 points in 69 games last year, which took him to 100 points in an 82-game season. He still has it.

Seider wins the Norris Trophy (+3,000): This is another long shot we’re aiming for.

Seider excelled as a rookie for Detroit, scoring 50 points in 82 games for a poor Red Wings team. The roster is better, though, and since we’re keen to pull the Wings into the playoffs, we’re also banking on their young star defenseman making a big leap in his sophomore season.

You don’t have to look back too far to see the last time a sophomore blueliner won this award, either. Adam Fox took home the 2020-21 Norris as a sophomore, and we could see Seider do the same as the undisputed leader of Detroit’s defensive core.

Also, there is no value in betting on Cale Makar (+150) to win now.

Kucherov wins the Art Ross Trophy (+1,300): The last time Nikita Kucherov played a full season in 2018-19, he won this award. So why not bet on him making it again at these odds?

The 29-year-old is still in the prime of his career and has been nothing but performance despite recent injuries. Kucherov has 154 points in 115 games over his last two seasons, proving he still has an elite offensive touch.

As of 2019-20, he ranks third in the league with 2.95 points per 60.

There’s no reason why Kucherov shouldn’t fight for that honor.

McTavish wins the Calder Trophy (+750): If you like players who produce at every level they play at, then you’ll love McTavish.

The 19-year-old plays like a seasoned veteran and is comfortable in any environment. As a teenager, McTavish played adult men in the Swiss League, scoring nine goals and eleven points in 13 games.

In 29 OHL competitions over the past year, he scored 47 points and helped the Hamilton Bulldogs win the championship title. The forward, who played for Canada at the last World Juniors, led the tournament with 17 points.

Even in nine games with the Ducks last year, he scored two goals and three points while averaging 13:05 ice time. McTavish’s game should resonate well with the pros and he will have an opportunity to earn some vital minutes with Anaheim.

Matthews wins the “Rocket” (+250): There are many intriguing Auston Matthews bets for the upcoming season but this one is our favourite.

Toronto’s superstar scored 60 points in just 72 games last season to win his first Hart Trophy. In last year’s 5-a-side, Matthews led the NHL in expected individual goals, Corsi in scoring chances and high-threat chances.

No player has scored more goals (101) or shots (570) than he has in the last two seasons. He is by far the top scorer in the game.

SP

Steven Psihogios writes about sports betting for NorthStar Bets. NorthStar Bets is owned by NordStar Capital, which also owns Torstar, Star’s parent company. Follow him on Twitter: @StevenPsihogiosSHARE:

Disclaimer This content was created as part of a partnership and as such may not meet the standards of impartial or independent journalism.