2018 NHL Awards Odds and Picks
The NHL is embarking on the final stretch of its season and the major awards outside of the Stanley Cup continue to have Tampa Bay players leading the way as the odds-on favorites.
Online sportsbook Bovada has updated odds for who will win the Hart, Art Ross, Calder, Norris and Vezina trophies.
Here is an odds breakdown and prediction for each award heading into the final 20 games of the NHL season.
Can anyone catch Nikita Kucherov for the Hart Trophy?
The Tampa Bay winger has been electric all season and leads the NHL with 82 points. At this stage, it’s Kucherov’s award to lose with odds of +160 but his recent injury may open the door for other contenders like Evgeni Malkin.
Malkin may be the greatest Russian hockey player of all time and his February performance was majestic as he notched 10 goals and 21 points to lead the NHL in that span. At +250, bettors can’t be faulted for wanting to back Geno but the presence of all-world players like Sidney Crosby and Phil Kessel on his squad may dissuade voters.
The dark-horse pick that should be given consideration is Winnipeg’s Blake Wheeler. The Jets captain does it all for Winnipeg and he’s helped propel his team to third in the Western Conference. Wheeler is tied for fifth in scoring in the NHL this season and is responsible for matching up with other teams’ top forwards defensively. If the Jets can go on another run and surpass Nashville in the standings, voters will have a hard time ignoring Wheeler’s efforts.
PICK: Evgeni Malkin +250
Odds to win The Hart Trophy
Odds as of March 1 at Bovada
- Nikita Kucherov +160
- Evgeni Malkin +250
- Taylor Hall +350
- Alex Ovechkin +650
- Nathan MacKinnon +1200
- Connor McDavid +1200
- Johnny Gaudreau +1200
- Blake Wheeler +2200
Is anyone worth betting on for the Art Ross Trophy?
The oddsboard favors Nikita Kucherov to win his first Art Ross Trophy at -200 and he currently leads the NHL with 82 points, with a six-point lead on second-place Evgeni Malkin. Kucherov’s recent injury may put a cloud on his prospects to win the points title, which opens the door for players like Malkin or last year’s Art Ross winner, Connor McDavid.
The Oilers may be trash this season but hardly any of the blame can be placed on McDavid. The Edmonton captain is listed at +500 and has 75 points, with eight multi-point games in February. However, with nothing much left to play for, the Oilers and McDavid may take the foot off the gas, which could lead to bettors’ frustrations in investing in the talented center.
PICK: Nikita Kucherov -200
Odds to win the Art Ross Trophy
Odds as of March 1 at Bovada
- Nikita Kucherov -200
- Evgeni Malkin +350
- Connor McDavid +500
- Johnny Gaudreau +1400
- Claude Giroux +1400
- Blake Wheeler +1600
Can Brock Boeser catch Mathew Barzal for the Calder Trophy?
In a short answer, no.
In the longer version, it doesn’t seem likely as Barzal (listed at -400) has been dynamite for the Islanders all season and owns three five-point games so far. He’s the leading scorer for the Islanders and has given New York’s power play a significant shot in the arm while propelling the team to seventh overall in goals per game.
Brock Boeser leads all rookies with 29 goals and if Vancouver had a better W-L record, he might be a lock for this award. But with the Canucks’ poor play and Boeser’s occasional goal droughts, it would take a Gretzky-like scoring effort from the American to overtake Barzal for the award.
PICK: Mathew Barzal -400
Odds to win The calder TRophy
Odds as of March 1 at Bovada
- Mathew Barzal -400
- Brock Boeser +300
Could another goalie surpass Andrei Vasilevskiy for the Vezina Trophy?
At -350 odds, it may not seem likely that the Lightning goaltender can be overtaken for this award at this stage of the season. The Russian netminder owns 37 wins with a .927 save percentage, a 2.34 GAA and Tampa Bay has the best record in the Eastern Conference.
That being said, Nashville’s Pekka Rinne is making a serious case to win his first Vezina Trophy and at +400, bettors shouldn’t be scared from backing Smashville’s goaltender. Rinne may only have 33 wins to Vasilevskiy’s 37 but the two are neck and neck in all other stats like shutouts, save percentage, etc. Nashville is currently second in the Western Conference and if the Preds can surpass Vegas in the standings, Rinne would be the main beneficiary.
Pick: Pekka Rinne +400
Odds to win The vezina Trophy
Odds as of March 1 at Bovada
- Andrei Vasilevskiy -350
- Pekka Rinne +400
- Connor Hellebuyck +550
- Tuukka Rask +700
- Marc-Andre Fleury +2200
Will Drew Doughty win his second Norris Trophy?
Doughty (listed at +200) is not the favorite to win this award as Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman leads the pack at -125. Hedman has 44 points for the Bolts this season and is second among d-men at plus-25. Based on the NHL standings, voters may lean more to the Swede as he’s seventh in points for defensemen but Dallas’s top rearguard may have something to say about that.
Fellow Swede John Klingberg leads all defensemen with 54 points and has a case to win the award if the Stars can regain their form and make a leap higher in the standings. At +450, he may just be worth the value compared to the other listed candidates.
Pick: Drew Doughty +200
Odds to win The Norris Trophy
Odds as of March 1 at Bovada
- Victor Hedman -125
- Drew Doughty +200
- John Klingberg +450
- P.K. Subban +450
