With 60 goals in 2021-22, Auston Matthews set a record for the most goals in a season in Toronto Maple Leafs history. It also earned him the second Rocket Richard Trophy of his still short NHL career. But with the 2022-23 campaign on the home stretch and Matthews well off the pace of the league leaders, it appears someone else will take home the hardware as the league’s premier sniper this year.
Online sportsbooks are giving Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid -220 odds to capture the NHL’s top goal-scorer award for the first time. He is followed by the Boston Bruins’ David Pastrnak (+200) and the Buffalo Sabres’ Tage Thompson (+1400) to round out our top three.
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NHL Rocket Richard Trophy Odds
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
| Connor McDavid (EDM) | -220 |
| David Pastrnak (BOS) | +200 |
| Tage Thompson (BUF) | +1400 |
| Mikko Rantanen (COL) | +2200 |
| Jack Hughes (NJ) | +3500 |
| Jason Robertson (DAL) | +4500 |
| Kirill Kaprizov (MIN) | +7000 |
| Leon Draisaitl (EDM) | +7000 |
| Bo Horvat (NYI) | +8000 |
Odds as of February 24
Connor McDavid Looking To Add Rocket Richard To His Trophy Case
McDavid has quite the collection – four Art Ross Trophies, three Ted Lindsay Awards and two Hart Trophies. But the 25-year-old has yet to touch the Rocket Richard hardware. Which is kind of shocking considering McJesus is constantly plastered all over our TVs showcasing his elite goal-scoring abilities almost every night. Last season, McDavid’s 44 goals fell short to Auston Matthews’ 60 and five other players, including teammate Leon Draisaitl, who finished second with 55 goals.
McDavid kicked off this season with a hat trick against the Vancouver Canucks and leads the NHL with 46 goals and 109 points in his seventh season. Since December, the Edmonton captain has only gone without a point in two games and has racked up 28 goals in that span. He is constantly a contender for the Rocket Richard and if he continues on this pace, this should be the year he takes it home.
Rocket Richard Trophy Value Picks
David Pastrnak (+200)
Pastrnak is the one guy keeping up with McDavid in goals this year, with 42 in 57 games. And let’s not forget that prior to Matthews’ back-to-back wins, it was Pastrnak who shared the NHL goal-scoring lead with Alex Ovechkin in 2019-20, tallying 48 goals in 70 games.
Pastrnak has recorded two or more points on 24 nights this season. He has just four goals and eight points so far this month but three of those goals have come in his two most recent performances. If Pastrnak can pick it back up, it’s not far-fetched to think he can squeak past McDavid. According to our odds calculator, a $100 bet will pay out $300, which is a $200 profit.
Tage Thompson (+1400)
Tage Thompson is working hard to stay on McDavid’s heels. The 25-year-old breakout star scored three times against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night, giving him 39 goals on the year, the third most in the league. The Sabres forward has notched four hat tricks, including an incredible five-goal showcase against the Columbus Blue Jackets in early December. I’d keep a close eye on Thompson as the season continues – he hasn’t caught McDavid yet, but he’s keeping it tight enough.
Last 10 Rocket Richard Winners
| Year | Winner | Preseason Odds |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Auston Matthews (Toronto Maple Leafs) | +350 |
| 2021 | Auston Matthews (Toronto Maple Leafs) | +4500 |
| 2020 | Alex Ovechkin (Capitals), David Pastrnak (Bruins) | +550/+1600 |
| 2019 | Alex Ovechkin (Washington Capitals) | +650 |
| 2018 | Alex Ovechkin (Washington Capitals) | +500 |
| 2017 | Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh Penguins) | +1400 |
| 2016 | Alex Ovechkin (Washington Capitals) | +250 |
| 2015 | Alex Ovechkin (Washington Capitals) | +300 |
| 2014 | Alex Ovechkin (Washington Capitals) | +350 |
| 2013 | Alex Ovechkin (Washington Capitals) | +400 |
| 2012 | Steven Stamkos (Tampa Bay Lightning) | +500 |
Can you say “domination”? Alex Ovechkin has absolutely dominated this award for the last decade, winning it seven times out of a possible 10. The torch has seemingly be passed on to Austin Matthews, but that may be a tad early to say with only two Rocket Richards to his name to Ovie’s seven.
Making A Futures Bet
A futures bet is a wager made on events or milestones that will happen in time. The Rocket Richard Trophy bet is a form of futures betting because you are making a pick based on an outcome determined at the end of NHL season. The trophy is given out in mid-June and if you want to get a bigger payout, it’s best to lock in your bets sooner rather than later so you can take advantage of better odds. The closer it gets to Rocket Richard voting, the more the odds will change.
How To Read Rocket Richard Trophy Odds
The above chart features the odds for each top goal scorer in the NHL. At your sportsbook of choice, the betting lines would look something like this:
Connor McDavid +100
Tage Thompson +350
Alex Ovechkin +800
This means that McDavid is the favorite since he has the lowest odds and the highest chance of winning the prop, according to oddsmakers. If you were to bet $100 on McDavid and he won, you would get a payout of $200 – your original $100 is returned along with your winnings of $100.
On the other hand, if you strongly believe that Alex Ovechkin is going to win the Rocket Richard with the Capitals, a winning $100 bet on him would yield $900 – your $100 comes back along with your prize of $800.
Our Odds Calculator will show you how much you’d win based on the odds and amount bet.
What Is A Futures Bet For NHL Teams?
When it comes to big events for any sport, you can bet months in advance. In this case, a futures bet is a wager made on which player will win the Rocket Richard Trophy. Each week, oddsmakers will update the odds to reflect how the player is doing. If the player suddenly is injured or hitting a point slump, their chances of winning the award slim down. A surging player will see their odds skyrocket.
