The 2024-2025 NHL season is right around the corner, and it’s time to dive into some bold predictions that could shake up the league. From an expansion team making waves in the playoffs to a long-overdue Stanley Cup run and a surprising Rocket Richard contender, these predictions offer intriguing value for hockey bettors. Let’s explore why the Utah Hockey Club is a solid pick to make the playoffs at +165, why the Ottawa Senators could finally hoist the Stanley Cup at +4000, and why Cole Caufield is a sneaky longshot to lead the NHL in goals at +15000.
The Utah Hockey Club Makes The Playoffs In Their Inaugural Season (+165)
This isn’t that much of a hot take, considering the Las Vegas Golden Knights made it to the Stanley Cup Final in their first season in the league. However, we are still getting plus money here for them to make the playoffs out west, and I think +165 is some good value for that to happen.
I wrote about a month or so ago about this very same topic, “The new owners of the franchise said right away that they want to be a contender in their first year at the helm, and from what they have and what they have done, I won't be shocked at all if they are. Now, they aren't going to be Edmonton or Dallas, but they certainly can make a run in the Western Conference. One move they made quickly that got my attention was trading for D Mikhail Sergachev from Tampa Bay, who has the upside to be a No. 1 defenseman. They also brought in D John Marino from New Jersey, who I also think has a really high upside and has shown flashes as well throughout his career, and he is only 27.”
When you combine those two with two already solid D-men in Sean Durzi and Juuso Valimaki, you have a defense that is one of the better squads in the West. With the defense improving, that will also help the offense, which already was a solid unit that scored 3.10 goals per game. I love the young core they have with Logan Cooley, Dylan Guenther, and Matias Maccelli. Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz are also two very good players, and the recipe is there for them to continue to progress this season.
Ottawa Senators Win The Stanley Cup (+4000)
This is like a recording for me on repeat now since I have been advocating for the Senators for the last couple of years. They have failed me, obviously, and haven’t even been able to make the postseason. However, I really like the addition of goaltender Linus Ullmark from the Boston Bruins. The offense has never been the problem for the Senators over the past couple of seasons, and in fact, they have been one of the best offenses in hockey over that span. The issue has been with their goaltending, which has been terrible.
They had hoped last year that bringing in Joonas Korpisalo would fix their ills, but he didn’t, and they needed to find someone who was a legit No. 1 netminder. The Bruins had two of them in Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman. They didn’t need two top-rate goaltenders, and decided to go with Swayman, and got a decent haul for Ullmark.
I think it will be worth it for Ottawa, however. Now that they have someone in net that they know plays at a high level, the offense can feel better about taking some chances and not resulting in a guaranteed goal if they turn it over. I am really hoping this is finally the year they can break through, as I have lost enough supporting them over the last two years.
Cole Caufield To Win The Rocket Richard Trophy (+15000)
You want a serious longshot that I think at least has a chance to payout when the season comes to an end? I’ll sprinkle a very small amount on Caufield to lead the NHL in goals at 150/1 odds, which I think is a pretty good value. The Canadiens are a very young hockey team, and while they probably won’t win a ton of games again this season, Caufield I think has a shot to solidify himself as one of the brightest young stars in this league. He’s just 23 years old, and last season, notched 28 goals with a very underwhelming roster around him.
The acquisition of LW Patrik Laine to play alongside him is just massive, as he finally will have a winger next to him with experience and talent. He was out all last season with injury, but has shown in previous seasons that he is a 30-30 type of player that can contribute big time to his team if he is healthy. Caufield should benefit a lot from this, more than you might think.
Obviously, it is a longshot, but I think it is one that is worth a small sprinkle going into the 2024 NHL season.
Get up to $1,500 in Bonus Bets at BetMGM! All you need to do is CLICK HERE, sign up for a new account, make your first deposit and bet! Don’t miss out!
Related
