Written by Scott on Wednesday, September 30th, 2015
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Even though we are still a few days away from the start of the season, over at Bovada you can already bet on who will win which award at the end of the season. And because the season hasn’t yet started, the odds are much better now than the will be during the season. Below I will go over some of the awards and who I think will win it and also a long shot. My pick is who I think has the best chance to win the award where the longshot is a player who has a chance to win it and it pays out much better. But for the complete list, which covers all the awards and all of the available players to choose from, be sure to go to Bovada.
Calder Trophy
The Calder Trophy is awarded to the player who performed best in their first year in the NHL. It’s the “Rookie of the Year” award
My Pick – Conner McDavid
Not since Sidney Crosby came into the league has their been this much hype surrounding a rookie. But after the junior hockey career that McDavid had it’s hard to see this award going to any other player. He is surrounded by other young stars and will be able to play in any and all game situations. Edmonton sees him as the face of their franchise now and in the future. It’s because McDavid is such an incredible young star that the payout for this prop is only 1.57
Longshot – Sam Bennett
Were it not for a shoulder injury last season then Bennett may have won this award last year. Once he rejoined the team he looked great. He was huge in helping the Flames upset the Canucks in the first round of the playoffs last year. A full and healthy season from Bennett could earn him this award. If you think Bennett could win this award then head to Bovada and take advantage of the 8.00 odds.
Norris Trophy
The James Norris Trophy is awarded to the best Defenseman of the regular season.
My Pick – Drew Doughty
The Los Angeles Kings are looking for redemption. The didn’t make the playoffs last season after winning the Cup the year before. Doughty is crucial to their success. They added some much needed talent and had a long offseason to rest. Getting some strong odds of 4.50 for Drew Doughty to win the Norris Trophy
Longshot – Shea Weber
Weber has been such a great defenseman for his entire career and it’s a surprise that he has never won a Norris. He plays as complete a game as you will see from a defenseman and has one of the hardest shots in the league. When you factor in the depth the Predators have on D, the emergence of Roman Josi and the continued improvement of Seth Jones, and you see that this team lives and dies from the backend. He deserves this award and the odds are at 8.50 which are incredibly considering his resume.
Rocket Richard Trophy
The Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy is awarded to the player that leads the league in goals at the end of the regular season.
My Pick – Alex Ovechkin
It’s hard to bet against Ovechkin for this award. He has won the last 3 Rocket Trophys and has 5 total. With the moves that the Capitals made in the offseason it’s only going to help Ovechkin as opponents will have to take some of their focus off of Ovie or have Oshie, Backstrom and company do damage. With Ovechkin being the favorite for this trophy each and every year the odds aren’t as strong as the could be but we are still getting some solid odds of 3.50.
Longshot – Phil Kessel
Now that Kessel is away from Toronto and Bozak it will be interesting to see just how many goals he can score. This will be the first time in his career that he has a true number one center and when it happens to be arguably the best hockey player on the planet you know that the goals are going to be there. The question is just how many? I expect him to be in the 40-50 range but wouldn’t be surprised if it were higher than that. The Odds for Kessel winning the Rocket Trophy are 9.00 which are fantastic considering his linemates.
Art Ross Trophy
The Art Ross Trophy is awarded to the player that leads the league in points during the regular season.
My Pick – Sidney Crosby
If Crosby can stay healthy then this award could be his each and every year. But this year he has the superstar winger that they have been searching for to ride shotgun with Sid. Phil Kessel scores goals and that’s really all he does. Pittsburgh is looking to get back into the best team in the league conversation and that all hinges on Crosby. Getting 2.50 odds for Crosby to win this award
Longshot – Jaime Benn
Benn won this award last season by putting up 4 points in the final game of the season to put him ahead of John Tavares. Another year to develop more chemistry with Tyler Seguin and the addition of Patrick Sharp and a healthy season from Valeri Nichushkin will only help Benn. Getting great odds for Benn to repeat as the Art Ross Trophy winner of 16.00
To see the complete list of all awards and the players you can pick from, head to Bovada
