Tag Archives: Hockey

Stanley Cup odds update: Teams to buy or sell post-deadline

There was no shortage of activity at the 2022 NHL trade deadline. Where do things stand following all the movement?

Here, we'll look at a few teams to buy or sell post-deadline.

TEAM ODDS (3/22) ODDS (3/14)
Colorado Avalanche +400 +400
Florida Panthers +650 +750
Calgary Flames +750 +850
Carolina Hurricanes +800 +800
Tampa Bay Lightning +850 +800
Toronto Maple Leafs +1200 +1100
Vegas Golden Knights +1600 +1000
Pittsburgh Penguins +1600 +1600
New York Rangers +2000 +2000
Boston Bruins +2000 +2000
Minnesota Wild +2100 +2100
St. Louis Blues +2100 +2100
Washington Capitals +2400 +2700
Nashville Predators +2500 +2700
Edmonton Oilers +2500 +3000
Dallas Stars +3500 +3000
Los Angeles Kings +3500 +3500
Winnipeg Jets +9000 +12500
Vancouver Canucks +10000 +7500
Anaheim Ducks +25000 +12500
Columbus Blue Jackets +50000 +30000
New York Islanders +50000 +30000
San Jose Sharks +100000 +30000
Detroit Red Wings +100000  +50000
Chicago Blackhawks +250000 +100000
Buffalo Sabres +250000  +300000
New Jersey Devils +500000 +50000
Philadelphia Flyers +500000  +100000
Ottawa Senators +500000 +150000
Montreal Canadiens +500000 +500000
Arizona Coyotes +500000 +600000
Seattle Kraken +500000 +600000

Buy

Colorado Avalanche (+400)

The Avalanche, who were the best team heading into the deadline, made meaningful improvements to further increase their chances. Josh Manson isn't the player he once was, but he should bolster the top four and work nicely with Sam Girard on the second pairing. Artturi Lehkonen is an excellent middle-six forward who fits perfectly with the team's style of play. He also brings real playoff experience, having made it to the dance with the Montreal Canadiens last season. Additionally, Andrew Cogliano is a nice, speedy role player who improves the team's depth. The Avalanche didn't add any marquee names, but they didn't need to.

Tampa Bay Lightning (+850)

Since the last odds update, the Lightning added Brandon Hagel and Nick Paul, only losing Mathieu Joseph. Hagel is a speedy, forechecking fiend who's on pace for well over 25 goals; Paul is a responsible, versatile, two-way forward. They provide another impressive layer of depth to an already loaded team. Yet Tampa Bay's odds to win the Stanley Cup decreased. I think that's a mistake. Yes, the Lightning have a nightmarish path through the Atlantic Division. But that didn't stop them last year, or the year before. This team looks just as impressive as recent renditions.

Pittsburgh Penguins (+1600)

The Penguins entered the deadline with only one real weakness: finishing. They're among the league's best chance-generation teams, sitting seventh in expected goals at five-on-five. But their actual output has lagged behind, as 12 teams have netted more goals. It went to the wire, but the Penguins did pluck Rickard Rakell from Anaheim to get Evgeni Malkin some help. Rakell's on pace for 26 goals this season and will no doubt benefit from joining a team as talented as Pittsburgh. I think these odds sell the Pens a little short.

Sell

Vegas Golden Knights (+1600)

Things are going from bad to worse for the Golden Knights. They're struggling to stay afloat while losing key player after key player. Vegas technically holds a playoff spot but is behind the Dallas Stars in points percentage. There's still time for the Golden Knights to find their footing, but it feels like health is going to be a severe issue for them whether they sneak into the playoffs or not. If that's the case, they're not going to do much damage.

St. Louis Blues (+2100)

The Blues' record oversells them. They routinely get outshot and outchanced, which isn't a recipe for a sustained playoff run. I like their forwards, but the defense leaves a lot to be desired. I really thought they needed an impact defender who can help suppress chances and get play moving in the right direction. Nick Leddy isn't that.

Dallas Stars (+3500)

What is this team going to do? The Stars would be the final wild-card team if we went by points percentage, though they're currently out of the playoff picture. They have one legitimately good line and one good defensive pairing. Even if Dallas makes it to the playoffs, the team is likely to be pummelled by the Avalanche. And if the Stars grab the top wild-card spot? The end result would be the same against the Calgary Flames. Truth be told, this team would've been better served moving on from a guy like John Klingberg and netting a haul of future assets.

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.

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Maple Leafs collaborate with Bieber to make new reversible jersey

Justin Bieber and the Toronto Maple Leafs are officially in business together.

The pop superstar and the NHL club collaborated to make the first-ever reversible jersey in North American sports history. The Maple Leafs will wear the black and blue side of the jersey on March 23 for its annual Next Gen game against the New Jersey Devils.

The Maple Leafs introduced the Next Gen game in 2017 to "mark a celebration of youth in the community and to unite fans of all ages through the team and the game of hockey."

Bieber, who grew up near Toronto and is a lifelong fan of the Maple Leafs, explained the importance of the collaboration to him.

"My love for the Maple Leafs has always been a big part of who I am, and my passion for the team, and the passion of millions of fans, is stitched into this Next Gen sweater," Bieber said. "I'm grateful to the Leafs for the chance to team up again to create something so authentic for the team and its fans."

The jerseys are now available for sale.

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NHL Tuesday player props: 3 shooters to target

We have a juicy 11-game slate on the docket Tuesday night, which means there's no shortage of player props to attack.

Let's dive into three of my favorites.

Jack Hughes over 3.5 shots (+105)

Jack Hughes is heating up, especially on home ice. The New Jersey Devils' star pivot has averaged a whopping 4.2 shots per game over the last 10 home dates.

I expect that trend to continue against the New York Rangers. While they're a strong team, the Rangers are prone to giving up shots in bunches, even more so to centers.

New York concedes 11.38 shots per game to the position, which is more than all but the lowly Montreal Canadiens (11.40). Look for Hughes to take advantage of this plus matchup.

Roope Hintz over 2.5 shots (-134)

There was a time when Roope Hintz was an automatic play during any game in Dallas. He registered at least three shots in 10 straight home contests to start the season. While Hintz has cooled off, he's still a guy you can comfortably back.

Hintz went over the number in his first meeting with the Edmonton Oilers this season. He also enters play Tuesday having registered at least three shots in three of his last four games in Dallas.

With Miro Heiskanen out of the lineup, the Stars are giving up more defensively. That puts greater emphasis on creating additional offense, which could help Hintz inflate his shot totals.

I like him in this spot against an Oilers team coming off a taxing overtime game against the Colorado Avalanche.

Noah Dobson over 2.5 shots (-112)

These are very generous odds for Noah Dobson. He leads the New York Islanders in shot attempts and shots on goal over the last 10 games. Now, Dobson finds himself in one of the best spots imaginable against the Ottawa Senators.

Only the Arizona Coyotes, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Devils have allowed more shots per game to defensemen than the Senators this season.

Ottawa gives up a lot to the position at the best of times, and now the team is without arguably its best player in Thomas Chabot. The Sens also play fairly high-event hockey, which should raise Dobson's ceiling.

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.

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NHL trade deadline winners and losers: Wild, Avs, Rangers come out on top

With the NHL trade deadline behind us, it's time to break down the winners and losers of the frenzy based on deals made over the final week.

Winners

Minnesota Wild

NHL Images / National Hockey League / Getty

Wild general manager Bill Guerin knows this is his year to go for it, and he's doing exactly that. Ryan Suter's and Zach Parise's buyout cap hits will balloon over the next couple of years, so this season represents Minnesota's best chance to win a Stanley Cup.

First, Guerin addressed a big need between the pipes by bringing in his former Pittsburgh Penguins teammate Marc-Andre Fleury. The veteran netminder has a solid .908 save percentage for the lottery-bound Chicago Blackhawks. The Wild are one of the best defensive teams in the league - ranking second in expected goals against per 60 minutes at five-on-five - so a rejuvenated Fleury should excel in his new surroundings.

Nabbing him while only giving up a conditional second-round pick (that becomes a first if the Wild reach the Western Conference Final) is tremendous value. Minnesota won't need Fleury to be a workhorse down the stretch, either, as Cam Talbot - despite the recent struggles that necessitated an upgrade in goal - is still around to help shoulder the load.

Guerin then used his newfound depth between the pipes to land defenseman Jacob Middleton from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for goalie Kaapo Kahkonen. Middleton isn't a household name, but he's big, physical, and good defensively. Plus he's just 26 years old, carries a cap hit of $725,000, and will only be a restricted free agent at season's end.

Vancouver Canucks

Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty

Patrik Allvin's first trade deadline as an NHL GM was a success. On Sunday, he traded away Travis Hamonic's undesirable contract for a third-round pick. He then flipped a third-round pick to the Toronto Maple Leafs for Travis Dermott, who's younger, cheaper, and better than Hamonic. That's some tidy work.

Vancouver also dealt its only valuable pending unrestricted free agent, Tyler Motte, to the New York Rangers for a fourth-round pick - a fair return for a fourth-liner. The Canucks didn't make a major splash and trade away J.T. Miller, Brock Boeser, or Conor Garland, but there'll be a larger market for all three in the offseason.

Montreal Canadiens

Derek Leung / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Speaking of rookie GMs, Kent Hughes has the Habs on the right track. He made four trades in the week before the deadline, all of which should be considered victories.

In total, Montreal traded away Ben Chiarot, Brett Kulak, Artturi Lehkonen, and Andrew Hammond for a first-round pick, two second-rounders, a fourth-round pick, prospects Nate Schnarr, Justin Barron, and Ty Smilanic, and defenseman William Lagesson. The Chiarot and Kulak returns were particularly impressive.

Colorado Avalanche

Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Like Guerin, Avalanche GM Joe Sakic knows this is the year to go all-in. Colorado is in first place in the NHL, and Nazem Kadri, Andre Burakovsky, Valeri Nichushkin, and Darcy Kuemper are all pending UFAs due for raises.

So, Sakic got down to work. On March 14, he landed bruising defenseman Josh Manson for a second-round pick and prospect Drew Helleson - impressive considering Chiarot cost a first-rounder. He then swapped Tyson Jost for Nico Sturm - two comparable players - to save cap space.

On deadline day, Sakic landed the Habs' Lehkonen - a pesky, two-way, middle-six winger - for a second-rounder and Barron. That's a steep price considering Barron was a 2020 first-round pick, but Colorado is absolutely loaded on defense, so his path to meaningful minutes was blocked. Also, Lehkonen is under team control for at least another year as a pending RFA.

Sakic wasn't done there, though, as he also added veteran winger Andrew Cogliano for a fourth-round pick. Even at 34 years old, Cogliano can still fly, so he'll fit in nicely with Colorado's up-tempo style of play in a bottom-six role.

None of these moves are overly sexy, but the Avs have enough flash and dash. These trades make them deeper and harder to play against as they gear up for a Stanley Cup run.

New York Rangers

NHL Images / National Hockey League / Getty

Rangers GM Chris Drury made a trio of solid additions on deadline day without mortgaging the team's future. They reeled in Andrew Copp, Motte, and Justin Braun - all without surrendering a first-round pick or any meaningful players or prospects.

Copp is a Swiss Army knife who can slot in wherever necessary: third-line center, top-line winger, checking-line winger - you name it. He can produce offense but also has some sandpaper in his game. And he'll help on both the power play and penalty kill, too.

Motte will serve as a high-energy, bottom-six forward on a team that needed some depth up front.

Braun, meanwhile, is a steady, veteran defenseman who'll slot in on the right side of New York's third pairing behind Adam Fox and Jacob Trouba. Getting him for a third-rounder was nice work considering comparable rental rearguards - like Kulak - cost more.

Netminder Igor Shesterkin and the team's power play have bailed out the Rangers all season, so these moves should help them more effectively drive play at five-on-five.

Losers

Washington Capitals

Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire / Getty

The Capitals made a pair of minor additions up front, adding Johan Larsson and Marcus Johansson while giving up third-, fourth-, and sixth-round picks, as well as forward Daniel Sprong. Neither player moves the needle all that much, though.

They also failed to address their most pressing need: a left-shot defenseman to play with John Carlson.

Rookie Martin Fehervary has held down that spot for most of the season and performed adequately, but he's best suited to a more sheltered third-pairing role at this stage of his career. The Fehervary-Carlson duo has produced a 49.8 expected goals share in 803 five-on-five minutes this season - not ideal for a top pairing.

Obtaining a rental defenseman would've no doubt been pricey, but for a team with an aging core in win-now mode, it would've been worth it. Especially since Vitek Vanecek, despite his hot play of late, still isn't a sure thing between the pipes. Question marks on defense and in net typically don't result in playoff success.

Chicago Blackhawks

Chase Agnello-Dean / National Hockey League / Getty

Kyle Davidson's first trade deadline as an NHL GM was a failure. Not only was the return for Fleury underwhelming, but Davidson also held on to pending UFA defenseman Calvin de Haan.

Considering the market for rental defensemen, the Blackhawks likely could've fetched at least a second-round pick for De Haan. That's a valuable asset for a rebuilding team like the Blackhawks, but now, they might lose him for nothing in free agency. That's awful asset management.

Edmonton Oilers

Mitchell Leff / Getty Images Sport / Getty

The Oilers made a pair of moves Monday, and neither addition will make a large impact. They brought in depth forward Derick Brassard for a fourth-round pick, and Kulak in exchange for Lagesson and a second-rounder.

Kulak is an analytics darling and a stellar third-pairing defender, but that's about his ceiling. He's obviously better than Lagesson, but the upgrade isn't worth the steep cost of a second-round pick. Dermott and Braun - two comparable defensemen - were traded for third-rounders, for example.

Edmonton also ignored its biggest need: a goalie. There weren't many netminders available, but sticking with the Mikko Koskinen-Mike Smith tandem is unacceptable. If poor goaltending keeps the Oilers out of the playoffs, it could potentially cost GM Ken Holland his job.

(Analytics source: Natural Stat Trick)

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Golden Knights send Dadonov to Ducks

The Vegas Golden Knights have traded Evgenii Dadonov and a conditional second-round pick to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for defenseman John Moore and Ryan Kesler's contract, both teams announced Monday.

Anaheim will receive Vegas' second-round selection in 2023 or 2024.

Dadonov has 15 goals and 12 assists in 62 contests this season, his first with the Golden Knights. The 33-year-old is signed through the 2022-23 campaign and carries a $5-million cap hit.

The Ducks acquired Moore on Saturday in the trade sending blue-liner Hampus Lindholm to the Boston Bruins. Moore has suited up in just seven NHL games this season - all with the Bruins - and has one assist.

The 31-year-old is signed through 2022-23 and is a veteran of 544 NHL games.

Kesler, 37, hasn't played since 2019 and is on long-term injured reserve. This season is the final year of his contract, which carries an average annual value of $6.875 million; it won't count against the Golden Knights' salary cap.

Originally selected by the Florida Panthers in the third round of the 2007 draft, Dadonov has 249 points in 397 career NHL games.

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Canucks send Motte to Rangers

The Vancouver Canucks have traded forward Tyler Motte to the New York Rangers in exchange for a 2023 fourth-round pick, both teams announced Monday.

Motte, 27, has seven goals and eight assists in 49 games this season. The rugged center also has 90 hits and 51 blocked shots.

The Rangers made another splash in the trade market before the deadline, bringing in Andrew Copp from the Winnipeg Jets. The pair of additions figure to bolster the team's bottom-six, but Copp is versatile enough that he can plug in anywhere in the lineup.

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Jets deal Copp to Rangers for pair of conditional 2nd-round picks

The Winnipeg Jets traded versatile forward Andrew Copp and a 2023 sixth-round pick to the New York Rangers in exchange for a pair of conditional second-rounders, a 2023 fifth-round pick, and prospect Morgan Barron, the team announced Monday.

The one second-round pick becomes a first-rounder if the Rangers make it to the Eastern Conference Final and Copp plays 50% of the games. The other second-rounder will either be the 2022 second-round pick that originally belonged to the St. Louis Blues or the Rangers' own second-round pick in 2023 - it's Winnipeg's choice.

Copp recorded 13 goals and 22 assists in 56 games while averaging 19:48 of ice time per contest for the Jets this season. He's played center and wing and excels on both the power play and penalty kill.

The 27-year-old is a pending unrestricted free agent with a cap hit of $3.64 million.

New York also added Tyler Motte on Monday and Frank Vatrano on Wednesday to shore up its forward depth and then made a defensive addition in Justin Braun.

Barron, meanwhile, was a Rangers' sixth-round pick in 2017. The 6-foot-4 center has recorded a goal and an assist in 18 career NHL games. The 23-year-old has spent most of this season in the AHL, where he's produced 15 points in 25 games.

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Report: Blue Jackets send Domi to Hurricanes

The Columbus Blue Jackets traded forward Max Domi to the Carolina Hurricanes for prospect Aiden Hreschuk, reports Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

Domi has tallied nine goals and 23 assists in 53 games while averaging 13:25 of ice time per contest with the Blue Jackets this season. He recorded a career-high 72 points with the Montreal Canadiens in 2018-19 but has been unable to replicate that success since.

The 27-year-old carries a $5.3-million cap hit and will be an unrestricted free agent at season's end.

Hreschuk was selected 94th overall by the Hurricanes in the 2021 NHL Draft. The 5-foot-11 defenseman has produced eight points in 37 games at Boston College this season.

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