After a profitable preview of the 21/22 NHL season, Tom Carnduff picks out five best bets for the new campaign - ranging from 16/1 to 50/1.
Ice hockey betting tips: NHL season
1.5pts e.w. Carolina Hurricanes to win the Stanley Cup at 16/1 (Sky Bet 1,2 1/2)
1pt Logan Thompson to win the Calder Memorial Trophy at 20/1 (Sky Bet, bet365)
1pt Miro Heiskanen to win the James Norris Memorial Trophy at 22/1 (Sky Bet, bet365)
1pt Quinn Hughes to win the James Norris Memorial Trophy at 22/1 (Sky Bet, bet365)
1pt Dylan Holloway to win the Calder Memorial Trophy at 50/1 (Sky Bet)
The 2022/23 NHL season begins with the Colorado Avalanche looking to defend their crown, four months after denying the Tampa Bay Lightning their third successive Stanley Cup success.
The Avalanche, unsurprisingly, are clear favourites across the board with some offering as short as 7/2 on them going back-to-back.
It's not impossible of course, but it is incredibly difficult. Tampa Bay and the Pittsburgh Penguins are recent examples of clubs who won consecutive Cups, but before that happened in 2017, you have to go back to the 1998 Detroit Red Wings.
The season actually began with games in the Czech Republic, as the Nashville Predators beat the San Jose Sharks on both occasions last weekend in front of huge crowds at the o2 Arena in Prague.
But the main action begins in the States, as the 82-game regular season campaign aims to establish who is in the best possible position going into the post-season playoffs.
Count on Carolina
Colorado are an incredible strong unit, and they won the Cup as pre-season favourites in 21/22.
They are the standout team in the odds once again, but the favourite doesn't always necessarily hoist the Stanley Cup at the conclusion of the season.
Only three of the last 11 Stanley Cup winners went off as the favourites, while six of those who didn't were in the top-six in the betting.
St. Louis blues in 2019 were the anomaly, finding themselves 11th in the odds before a puck was dropped, but largely it's worth focusing on those fancied in the betting.
At best odds of 16/1, CAROLINA HURRICANES TO WIN THE STANLEY CUP looks overpriced. They were a successful 5/1 pick to win the Metropolitan Division in last season's preview.
The offseason has been a busy one with a number of big names arriving as they aim to build on last season's showing, while adding to an already well balanced and strong roster.
Max Pacioretty is the eye-catching addition, an indication of where this team ranks in terms of Cup contenders.
While he will be missing for the first half of the season due to surgery on a torn Achilles, the winger should be back well in time for the playoffs - someone who has been floating around the point-per-game marker in recent seasons.
That will be a massive boost to an already strong-looking attack, with Paul Stastny and Ondrej Kase adding good depth to the third and fourth lines.
Jesperi Kotkaniemi will have an opportunity as the second line centre, and he'll likely be supported by strong wingers in Andrei Svechnikov and Martin Necas, with Teuvo Teravainen a contender to drop down when Pacioretty returns.
Kase will add to a powerplay that does need to improve on last season, something they should do, while we should also see Stastny get minutes when they have the man advantage.
The Canes were a very strong penalty killing unit in 21/22 and that should carry over into the new campaign.
Brent Burns provides a presence on the blue line, meaning that this is a team who should have little issue in making the playoffs, and one who should justify their position as favourites for the Metropolitan.
Maybe the one concern is that they don't have that huge star that others who win Cups do. That's where some doubt does creep in, but there is little doubt in the quality of this roster as a whole.
That will be reflected in their likely chance of going beyond 100 points, while several respected data models are highlighting the Hurricanes as a serious contender.
In truth, this selection should be floating around the single-digit odds.
Bet against Makar in the Norris
The Norris Trophy looks like it is Cale Makar's to lose this year, with the Avalanche man a clear favourite in the market.
This award focuses on the "defense player who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-round ability in the position", and Makar was judged to do just that as he scooped the accolade last season.
I have little doubt he'll be up there again, but at odds as short as 5/4 there is little interest in getting involved. Instead, there are a couple of other names to focus on at value prices.
If we are judging the award by its description, then MIRO HEISKANEN TO WIN THE NORRIS looks an interesting play at odds of 22/1.
The 23-year-old is the Dallas Stars' number one defenceman, possessing everything required to be the ideal modern player in his position.
A strong skater and a consistent passer, the one criticism that you could perhaps throw his way is that he needs to become a bit more selfish in his play.
He registered 36 points last season, 31 of which were assists, but he has the tools required to go way beyond that this season.
With John Klingberg leaving the organisation as a free agent - he has since signed for Anaheim - Heiskanen is set for serious opportunities and ice time on the power play.
He had that last season, but nowhere near as much as he should get throughout the new campaign.
This is, after all, an award that tends to favour the offensive defenceman, the Dallas man should be well among the points this time around.
For the same price, and a player posting strong numbers in attack, there is also appeal in backing QUINN HUGHES TO WIN THE NORRIS.
Hughes registered 68 points in 21/22, with 60 of those coming as assists. For reference, that's more than Roman Josi and Victor Hedman returned in the recent seasons where they won this award.
The Canucks are a question mark for the playoffs, with the top two spots likely heading to Alberta for Calgary and Edmonton, but the bookmakers are slightly favouring a post-season appearance.
Hughes will be a big part of that. He will line up on the left side of the D pairing, but a switch to the right could actually help the chances of this bet landing.
It already looks like one that will provide significantly more value and chance than the 22/1 initial price suggests, but moving over to the right should further unlock his ability to return points at five-on-five.
Despite being just 22, Hughes comes into this campaign with NHL experience across the last four seasons. Production has continued to rise, and we can predict he'll go above 68 this season.
His points line is set at 68.5, and we're willing to predict the Overs comes in here. He's well worth a gamble at 22/1.
Contenders for the Calder
The Calder Trophy is an open one this season, with Mason McTavish, Owen Power and Matty Beniers all favoured at the top of the market.
It's the award given "to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition", and there are some serious contenders at big prices for the new campaign.
It's been won by the greats of the game, with Alexander Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin and Patrick Kane some examples of those post-2005 lockout who have picked up the award.
The NHL pre-season gives us a good indication of who could be in the running to win the Calder, and the events across the offseason and the past few weeks have shaped our selections here.
The first of which is, in all honesty, my favourite bet of the entire season and one I really think can give us a run for our money.
At 50/1, DYLAN HOLLOWAY TO WIN THE CALDER looks massively overpriced. He has been the breakout star from the Edmonton Oilers' pre-season.
His pre-season campaign delivered four goals and a total of six points in his four appearances, with a hat-trick coming as a top-six forward in victory over Vancouver.
That is where this bet gets exciting. Not only is Holloway starting on this Oilers roster, but he could be getting top-six minutes in the early exchanges. Good performances will keep him there.
He passed the test of what he looks like with the team's top forwards, and he's earned his spot on this roster through ability, rather than salary cap convenience.
The possibility of Holloway playing on a line with Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman creates a huge potential for points, as does the possible rotation to sit alongside Connor McDavid, Evander Kane or Jesse Puljujärvi - ironically the man now in focus for trade talk following Holloway's emergence.
He's going to have the chance to play alongside the best attacking players in the league and consistent performances will keep him there.
This is a selection that should now be nowhere near the 50/1 mark.
At a price of 20/1, there is also some appeal in taking a chance on LOGAN THOMPSON TO WIN THE CALDER.
While this has been an award favoured more towards forwards in recent years, Thompson has the opportunity to nail down the starting goalie spot with the Golden Knights.
Robin Lehner is out for the season, meaning that Thompson will get a serious chance to show that he is an NHL level goaltender.
Opportunity is largely what this award is about, players need to have the ice time to demonstrate that they are capable of winning the accolade. Thompson will get just that.
The goalie won't be seeing a small number of minutes a night, he'll be getting regular game time as their number one goalie.
Thompson has already had NHL experience last season, posting a .914 save percentage in 19 appearances for Vegas. For clarity, that keeps him under the 25 games line to be eligible for winning the Calder.
It could be a selection that goes the other way, and performances means that he loses his spot. However, we can take confidence from that small sample size last season and gamble on that 20/1 price available with a couple of bookmakers.
Posted at 1610 BST on 11/10/22
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