As we continue to inch closer to an actual NHL season, oddsmakers are starting to release their pre-season betting lines on individual awards. It might be a shock to some that the defending Stanley Cup champions Tampa Bay Lightning are not the betting favorites a month away from the alleged start of the season, but that speaks to the difficulty of repeating title runs in this league. Bovada currently has the Colorado Avalanche leading the way with +600 odds. The Lightning are right behind them at +750.
Individually, Colorado also boasts the betting favorite for the Hart Trophy in Nathan MacKinnon (+550) while Nikita Kucherov is the Lightning’s leader at +1100 (honestly, those are pretty good odds for someone who is only a season away from winning the award).