NHL Calder Trophy Odds: Connor Bedard Fly’s Above The Flock

Last year's NHL top rookie award was given to Seattle's Matty Beniers. The young center didn't just produce well with 24 goals and 57 points but had a big part in getting the Kraken into their first playoffs.

🏆 ROOKIE OF BENIERS 🏆@Matty_Beniers10 *officially* wins the 2023 Calder Memorial Trophy as the @NHL’s Rookie of the Year! pic.twitter.com/QVNzJQbrtP

— Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) June 27, 2023

NHL Calder Trophy Odds For 2023-2024

Odds as of July 18

Connor Bedard (Chicago Blackhawks)

The first-overall pick from the 2023 NHL Draft is expected to have a big impact in the NHL. Chicago believes they're getting the next version of Connor McDavid to rebuild their franchise. And with highlights like these, I don't necessarily blame them.

CONOR BEDARD IS HIM. 🥵

(@TSN_Sports) pic.twitter.com/UkSydGGLWd

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) January 3, 2023

But can Bedard put up the numbers to warrant the Rookie Of The Year in 2024? With former Hart Trophy winner Taylor Hall likely on his wing all year, Bedard arguably gets a good leg up over the field.

But then again, Hall hasn't been in Hart Trophy form for some time. Since that 93-point season in 2017-18, Hall is scoring at a rate of 61 points per year. Even with Hall, Bedard is going to have to do some heavy lifting. 

Leo Carlsson (Anaheim Ducks)

The Ducks have good reason to feel cheated. While there was no actual cheating that occurred, the worst team in the league last year didn't win the first overall pick. And that sucks. But when it comes to the 2024 Calder Trophy, they might yet be winners

While Trevor Zegras does play center, they could move him to the left wing while putting Carlsson down the middle and Tory Terry on the right. A line of young guns like that could really electrify the league.

Zegras has put up back-to-back 60+ point seasons with the Ducks while creating these mind-blowing plays and goals. 

Quack! Quack! Quack! Quack! 🦆

Enjoy some of Trevor Zegras' (@tzegras11) highlights from 2022-23! pic.twitter.com/RhuqHWFnad

— NHL (@NHL) July 17, 2023

Troy Terry isn't signed yet, but the RFA put up 60 goals in the past two seasons. Having a finisher like him as part of that trio could scream big numbers for everyone on that line.

I like Carlsson's odds at +600.

Last 10 Calder Trophy Winners

There is a lot of value to be had with Calder futures. The eventual winners over the last 10 seasons have had average odds of +851. That’s an $851 profit on a winning $100 bet.

But while there’s value to be had, it also means the winner can be hard to predict. Many rookies who start the year as favorites don’t factor into the discussion because they fall short of expectations or are bumped down to the minor leagues to develop.

Take, for instance, Shane Wright. The fourth overall pick in 2022 started the year at +1500 to win rookie of the year. But he’s bounced between the NHL and AHL levels this season and finished the year playing with the Windsor Spitfires of the OHL.

What Is A Calder Trophy Futures Bet?

This is a bet in which you would look at the Calder Trophy odds well in advance of the final game of the season and back a specific player to win Rookie of the Year. Let’s say you want to make a futures bet today. The Calder Trophy odds might look something like this:

For Calder Trophy futures, the player with the lowest Calder Trophy odds is favored to win the Rookie of the Year, and the rest are underdogs.

Let’s say you feel strongly about Vegas goalie Logan Thompson and believe he’s going to win Rookie of the Year in 2023. If you were to bet $100 on him and he ended up winning it, you’d get a payout of $1,100 – your original $100 is returned along with your winnings of $1,000. Our odds calculator will show you how much you’d win based on the odds and amount bet.

The Calder Trophy odds change throughout the season. Line movements for NHL futures happen frequently, so if you see Calder odds you like, you need to get on them ASAP. Thompson may be +1000 to win the rookie of the year award in October but after a strong month or two, his Calder odds could move to +300 and you’ll make less money than you would if you’d bet him at +1000.