Updated NHL Futures
Early success for Darcy Kuemper and the Minnesota Wild has translated to the NHL futures list.
A little more than a week into the 2014-15 NHL season and you might not expect too much to have changed when it comes to Stanley Cup odds. For the most part you’d be right but if you look closely enough you’ll find a few instances of movement that are noteworthy.
Here’s a rundown of the odds shifts that have shaped Bovada’s NHL futures list looks on this Thursday morning.
The Chicago Blackhawks (2-0-1, 5pts) remain the overall favorites to lift the Stanley Cup in 2015, having been assigned 6/1 odds by Bovada.
Meanwhile, the Boston Bruins (2-3-0, 4pts) remain the bookmakers’ favorite in the Eastern Conference, despite three early losses.
Both sides look set to feature at the top of the hockey futures list for much of the forthcoming season and will likely be contenders when the postseason begins in April.
The Minnesota Wild (2-0-0, 4pts) has climbed into a tie for second place on the list, having seen 14/1 odds drop to 10/1. Behind goaltender Darcy Kuemper, the side from St. Paul, Minn., has earned a pair of shutout victories to begin the season, defeating the Colorado Avalanche (1-2-1, 3pts) home and away. Could this early form be a sign that the Wild, a team that has made the postseason in two straight seasons, is to be a contender again this year?
Minnesota isn’t the only team that’s seen its odds shrink after one week of play.
The New Jersey Devils (3-0-0, 6pts) have opened the season with a trio of road wins, a trend that has seen Stanley Cup odds cut from 50/1 to 33/1. Expected to finish next to last in the Metropolitan Division, have bookmakers underestimated Peter DeBoer’s side?
Playing one final season in Uniondale, N.Y., the New York Islanders (3-0-0, 6pts) are another side looking to challenge the bookmakers this season. The undefeated Islanders saw their championship odds fall from 66/1 to 33/1 this week, thanks in part to a 6-3 road win over rivals the New York Rangers (1-3-0, 2pts). While nobody’s about to jump on the Isles’ bandwagon just yet, it’s worth mentioning that the Long Island side had a better start to the 2013-14 campaign than the Rangers, before winding up out of the playoff mix.
For every team that has impressed the bookmakers through eight days of hockey action, there’s a team that has failed to capture the imagination.
The biggest drop off this week goes to the winless Florida Panthers (0-2-1, 1pt). The Panthers – who have struggled to draw a crowd early this season – saw their odds double from 75/1 to 150/1. Don’t expect things to improve for the team from Sunrise, Fla.
The Buffalo Sabres (1-3-0, 2pts) and Carolina Hurricanes (0-2-1, 1pt) – two teams picked to finish at the bottom of the league ahead of the season – have also struggled out of the gate. Both clubs have seen their odds stretch from 100/1 to 150/1. Like Florida, it’s hard to see either side achieving much this season.
Without a win through four games, the Philadelphia Flyers (0-2-2, 2pts) are another side that has dropped down the hockey futures list. After starting the year with 33/1 odds of lifting Lord Stanley’s cup, the Flyers are now considered 50/1. This is a line that could change drastically in a hurry though.
Two of the Flyers’ four losses came in shootouts while another was by a solitary goal. Add to that the fact that the team has played three sides – the Anaheim Ducks, Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins – that will all be playing come the postseason and you have a team that has made a good showing for itself. It’s also worth remembering that the Flyers struggled to start last season too.
You can find the complete list of hockey futures below.
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Thursday’s top game features a pair of Western Conference contenders locking horns as the Los Angeles Kings (2-1-1, 5pts) host the St. Louis Blues (1-1-0, 2pts).
Get the latest odds & trends for the game
Winners of six of the last seven head-to-head matchups and playing at home, Los Angeles will enter the game as the favorite. Will the Blues, idle for four days, get the upset win though?
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You can find the latest NHL futures odds here.
You can find an assortment of NHL team props here.
You can find an assortment of NHL player props here.
