NHL Odds: Makar, Shesterkin, Michkov Award Front-Runners
- The reigning winners are not favored in the NHL odds for winning the Norris and Vezina trophies.
- Will Matvei Michkov become the first Philadelphia Flyers player to win the Calder Trophy?
- Just four of the top seven candidates in the Calder Trophy odds are former first-round picks.
- Check the odds and make your picks at BetUS Sportsbook.
Much of the attention heading into the 2024-25 NHL season may focus on Edmonton Oilers star Connor McDavid being listed by the NHL futures odds as the favorite to win the Hart Trophy for the fourth time. That is hardly the only option to consider.
Colorado’s Cale Makar is leading the way in the Norris Trophy odds, while much tighter races are expected to decide the winner of the Calder Trophy and Vezina Trophy.
Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche made NHL news by beating out 2023-24 scoring champion Nikita Kucherov and McDavid to win the Hart Trophy. Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets won the Vezina, Chicago’s Connor Bedard captured the Calder Trophy while Vancouver’s Quinn Hughes was the winner of the Norris Trophy.
The odds also offer options for the Jack Adams Trophy for the Coach of the Year, which are led by Sheldon Keefe of the New Jersey Devils, and the President’s Trophy for the most points in the regular season. Also, Toronto’s Auston Matthews is the front-runner to win the Rocket Richard Trophy by leading the NHL in goals scored.
Let’s look at the individual award races as the first regular-season games get played this weekend in Prague when the Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey Devils square off in the NHL Global Series.
3 NHL Award Races Worth Watching This Season
1. Makar Tops A Stacked Norris Trophy Field
Six defensemen had at least 70 points during the 2023-24 season, and many of them are showing up among the players with the shortest Norris Trophy odds. Makar had 90 points last season and that was second only to Norris Trophy winner Hughes.
Makar won the Norris Trophy following the 2021-22 season and is the front-runner at +200 to become a two-time winner of the award.
Most 5×5 goals by D-men the past four seasons:
37- Cale Makar.
34- Roman Josi.
33- Erik Karlsson.
32- Darnell Nurse and Brady Skjei.
31- Brandon Montour and Gustav Forsling.
30- Victor Hedman and Rasmus Dahlin.
Preds now have two of the top five on their blueline. #NHL— Jason Gregor (@JasonGregor) October 2, 2024
Adam Fox of the New York Rangers joins Hughes, along with Chris Chelios and Brian Leetch, as American-born players to win the Norris Trophy. Fox is the No. 2 favorite at +600, according to the NHL lines.
Hughes is priced at +700 to become the first back-to-back winner of the Norris Trophy since Niklas Lidstrom won it three seasons in a row ending in the 2008-09 campaign.
Miro Heiskanen of the Dallas Stars and Edmonton’s Evan Bouchard also come in at +700, with former winner Roman Josi at +1200.
2. Can Hellebuyck Win Another Vezina?
Just like the Norris Trophy pecking order, the reigning winner is not the preseason favorite. Hellebuyck won the award for the second time after another brilliant season for the Jets. He comes in at +600 to become the first repeat winner of the Vezina since Martin Brodeur accomplished the feat following the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons.
The current Vezina Trophy odds favorite is Igor Shesterkin of the New York Rangers, the 2021-22 winner of the award. He is priced at +500 to add to his trophy collection.
Jeremy Swayman of the Boston Bruins is third at +750, and that is pretty interesting since he is holding out for a new contract. There has been some sniping back and forth from the camps for Swayman and the Bruins.
Jeremy Swayman ponders future with Bruins, harps on arbitration hearing in new Amazon NHL series https://t.co/FpkPzAhQJk
— Boston.com (@BostonDotCom) October 4, 2024
It is also worth noting that none of the top six Vezina Trophy favorites have earned the one piece of hardware they want the most: the Stanley Cup. The Oilers lead the odds for that trophy at +900 on your favorite sportsbook.
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3. Michkov Now Leads the Calder Trophy Odds
With an injury suffered by San Jose Sharks rookie Macklin Celebrini, the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, Philadelphia Flyers winger Matvei Michkov now leads the way in the Calder Trophy odds.
Michkov (+250) and Celebrini (+450) are followed by Logan Stankoven of the Dallas Stars at +600 and defenseman Lane Hutson of the Montreal Canadiens at +650. Next up are Cutter Gauthier of the Anaheim Ducks at +800 and Will Smith of the Sharks at +1000.
The top goalie listed is Calgary’s Dustin Wolf at +2000. If Wolf wins, it would buck recent NHL trends, as the last goalie to win the award was Steve Mason of the Columbus Blue Jackets following the 2008-09 season.
This should be another exciting season for the NHL, and you can add to your excitement with a bet online on one or more NHL award winners.
Odds and information are accurate at the time of writing. Please check with official sources for the latest updates before placing any bets
Questions Of The Day
Who is the last defenseman to win the Calder Trophy?
Moritz Seider of the Detroit Red Wings won the Calder Trophy as the rookie of the year following the 2021-22 season.
Which players have won the most Norris and Vezina trophies?
Bobby Orr of the Boston Bruins won eight Norris Trophies, while Dominik Hasek of the Buffalo Sabres is a six-time Vezina Trophy winner.
