It was revealed on Tuesday that the betting site, betonline.ag has released some odd for awards in the National Hockey League for the upcoming 2020-21 season.
While no concrete details have been released for the upcoming NHL campaign, the reports are that the league us still targeting a 56-game schedule to start league-wide as soon as Wednesday, Jan. 13. This will reportedly include teams playing in their own arenas throughout the season, while competing only against the teams in their own divisions.
A number of notable Buffalo Sabres players were listed on betonline.ag's website for NHL awards this season, which includes odds for awards like the Calder Trophy, Norris Trophy, Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy, Art Ross Trophy, Vezina Trophy, Jack Adams Award and the Hart Trophy.
Perhaps the most notable odds placed on the Sabres this upcoming season was for the Hart Trophy, which recognizes "the player adjudged to be the most valuable to his team."
According to betonline.ag, new Sabres forward Taylor Hall is listed at 28-1 odds to win the Hart Trophy in 2021, an award which he won back in 2018 while with the New Jersey Devils. However, his new teammate and captain Jack Eichel is listed at 33-1 odds to win the award, despite finishing eighth in voting for the Hart Trophy last season.
Hall joins the Sabres for the 2020-21 campaign after splitting time between the Devils and Arizona Coyotes last season. The 29-year-old finished the 2019-20 season with a combined 16 goals and 36 assists for 52 points in 65 games played. With the Coyotes in the Return To Play playoff this summer, Hall was able to net two goals and add four assists for six points in nine games in the Edmonton bubble.
During the offseason, Hall ended up signing a one-year deal to join the Sabres worth $8 million over signing a long-term deal with another team. He will likely start the 2020-21 season playing as Buffalo's top left winger on a line with Eichel.
As for Eichel, the 24-year-old finished his shortened 2019-20 campaign with a career-high 36 goals, as well as 42 assists for 78 points in 68 games. He was on pace to finish the year with 43 goals and 50 assists, while setting a new career-high of 93 points.
When the odds were originally released on Tuesday, Eichel was not even given any odds for the Hart Trophy, but was then listed later in the day as having 40-1 odds. His odds on Wednesday then increased to where he currently sits at 33-1.
While it comes as no surprise, Edmonton Oilers forward Connor McDavid is the betting favorite to win the Hart Trophy as league MVP at 4-1 odds. McDavid was the Hart Trophy winner back in 2017 following his second full season the NHL.
Meanwhile, McDavid's teammate, Leon Draisaitl comes in at No. 3 on the list for 2021 Hart Trophy odds at 8-1. He was the recipient of the Hart Trophy this past season, where he was the only player to eclipse the 100-point mark in just 71 games.
Here are the top-10 odds for the Hart Trophy, according to betonline.ag:
1.) Connor McDavid (EDM): 4-1
2.) Nathan MacKinnon (COL): 5-1
3.) Leon Draisaitl (EDM): 8-1
4.) Nikita Kucherov (TBL): 10-1
5.) Artemi Panarin (NYR): 12-1
6.) Auston Matthews (TOR): 14-1
7.) Brayden Point (TBL): 16-1
8.) Elias Pettersson (VAN): 18-1
T-9.) Alexander Ovechkin (WSH): 20-1
T-9.) Brad Marchand (BOS): 20-1
T-9.) Mitch Marner (TOR): 20-1
T-9.) Sidney Crosby (PIT): 20-1
Eichel also came in high in two other betting categories for the upcoming season, showing up at 20-1 odds for the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy (leading goal scorer in the regular season), while also being listed at 25-1 odds for the Art Ross Trophy (leading point scorer in the regular season).
Hall was also listed as a long shot for the Art Ross Trophy this upcoming season at 100-1 odds.
Another notable name listed with some decent odds for the 2020-21 season is Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin. The 20-year-old comes in at 33-1 odds to win the Norris Trophy this season as the NHL's top defenseman.
Dahlin just wrapped up his second NHL season, where he scored four goals and put up a career-high 36 assists in 59 games. Had Dahlin's season not come to a premature end due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he was on a pace to end the year with five goals and 44 assists for 49 points.
One other Sabres defenseman that was listed for the Norris Trophy was Rasmus Ristolainen, who is considered a long shot to win the award at 66-1 odds.
Here are the top-10 odds for the Norris Trophy, according to betonline.ag:
1.) Roman Josi (NSH): 4-1
2.) John Carlson (WSH): 9-2
3.) Victor Hedman (TBL): 9-2
4.) Brent Burns (SJS): 7-1
5.) Cale Makar (COL): 10-1
T-6.) Alex Pietrangelo (VGK): 12-1
T-6.) Erik Karlsson (SJS): 12-1
T-6.) Miro Heiskanen (DAL): 12-1
9.) Torey Krug (STL): 14-1
T-10.) Kris Letang (PIT): 18-1
T-10.) Quinn Hughes (VAN): 18-1
T-10.) Ryan Graves (COL): 18-1
As for notable Sabres prospect Dylan Cozens, he too makes an appearance in betonline.ag's odds for the 2020-21 season awards. The 19-year-old was given 33-1 odds to be named the Calder Trophy winner, which goes to the NHL's top rookie of the year.
The first round pick of the Sabres (seventh overall) in the 2019 NHL Draft will play for Team Canada at the 2021 IIHF World Junior Championship later this month before re-joining the Sabres for training camp after the tournament. He also played for Canada in the 2020 World Junior Championship, where he won gold for the Canadians in the Czech Republic.
It is thought that Cozens will have a very good chance to make the Sabres' roster this upcoming season after a stellar season of junior hockey in the Western Hockey League with the Lethbridge Hurricanes. In 51 games serving as team captain last season, Cozens was able to net 38 goals and add 47 assists for 85 points.
The favorite to win the Calder Trophy for the 2020-21 season is New York Rangers forward Alexis Lafreniere, coming in at 7-4 odds. The 19-year-old was recently the first overall pick of the Rangers back in the 2020 NHL Draft in October.
Here are the top-10 odds for the Calder Trophy, according to betonline.ag:
1.) Alexis Lafreniere (NYR): 7-4
2.) Igor Shesterkin (NYR): 2-1
3.) Kirill Kaprizov (MIN): 15-4
4.) Grigori Denisenko (FLA): 15-2
5.) Quinton Byfield (LAK): 10-1
6.) Alex Turcotte (LAK): 16-1
T-7.) Bowen Byram (COL): 20-1
T-7.) Evan Bouchard (EDM): 20-1
T-7.) Tim Stuetzle (OTT): 20-1
10.) Trevor Zegras (ANA): 25-1
Two more Sabres players showed up in the NHL award betting odds for the 2020-21 season:
- Linus Ullmark is listed at 50-1 odds to win the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's Goaltender of the Year.
- Victor Olofsson is considered a long shot to win the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy at 125-1 odds.
Also, Sabres head coach Ralph Krueger is listed by betonline.ag at 40-1 odds to win the Jack Adams Award as the NHL's Coach of the Year.