Just as LeBron James affected the NBA futures market when he signed with the Lakers, John Tavares did the same in the NHL when he moved to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
By adding the five-time All-Star center from the New York Islanders, the Maple Leafs immediately became one of the favorites at the Westgate Superbook to win the Stanley Cup. Both the Leafs and the Tampa Bay Lightning are sitting at 8-1. The Vegas Golden Knights, Nashville Predators, Boston Bruins and the reigning champion Washington Capitals come next at 10-1.
For me, the opportunity for the Golden Knights to hoist the Cup revolves around a pair of Karlssons – one who general manager George McPhee will keep for at least one more season and another who might be slipping away.