Hat tricks, dirty hits, and the dreaded playoff odds circle: the NHL is back, baby! Hockey returned last week with a bang (okay, technically Buffalo and New Jersey played the weekend before in Prague, but we’re not sure anybody but Bob Dylan knew about that). We here at Indy Sportsbook have prepared some extremely premature takes for your betting pleasure.
To get this out of the way, last year’s runner-up the Edmonton Oilers are currently the favorites to win the Stanley Cup at +800. The Oilers have had a surprisingly rough start to the year, going 0-3 for the first week (including a 6-0 loss to the Winnipeg Jets, of all teams). But we’re not worried yet. In 2023-24, the Oilers came back from a 9-12-1 record to finish second in the Pacific Division standings and clawed back a 0-3 deficit in the Cup finals to force Game 7. The turnaround was largely attributed to the arrival of new coach Kris Knoblauch in November. Perhaps the coach and his team are experiencing some growing pains during their first full season together, but they have plenty of time to figure things out before the playoffs.
The real concern for the Oilers is their lack of offensive depth and elite goaltending. Over a quarter of their points last season came from just two players, and goalies Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard had save percentages of just .805 and .778 respectively over the first three games. Nevertheless, the Oilers remain our pick to win the cup. They showcased impressive grit and determination throughout last season, and we have no reason to think they can’t stage another comeback. After all, what is hockey without a little drama? Maybe adding certified good vibes guy Jeff Skinner from Buffalo over the summer will be enough of a boost to propel them to a cup victory.
Sticking with the Oilers, you can feel confident betting on their captain and human highlight reel Connor McDavid to win the Art Ross Trophy—given to the player who leads the league in regular season points. Considering McDavid has been one of the top three point scorers for the past eight seasons and won the award five times, his -160 odds seem pretty reasonable. Last season, he earned 132 points for third in the league, becoming just the fourth player in NHL history to record 100 assists in a single season. This is also a potential contract year for McDavid, who is eligible to sign an extension next summer. The Oilers recently signed McDavid’s teammate and best friend Leon Draisaitl to a massive eight-year, $112 million contract, so it’s clear they’re ready to spend. McDavid is always impressive, but we expect the dual motivation of a Cup finals loss and a contract year to fuel McDavid for one of his best seasons yet.
For other end-of-season awards, we have to give a nod to former Harvard player and current New York Ranger Adam Fox at +600 for the Norris Trophy—presented to the best all-around defenseman. Is this an incredibly biased pick? Absolutely. But Fox is a dynamic, two-way player whose defensive skills and impressive stats have consistently earned him a place in the Norris conversation in recent years. After struggling with a knee injury last season, he sits in second place to Cale Makar (+230); however, Fox is coming into the 2024-25 season healthy and ready to get back to his peak.
One final awards prediction for you: we’re taking Matvei Michkov to win the Calder Trophy—given to the rookie of the year—at +250. Michkov, drafted seventh overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in 2023, has been hailed as the team’s long-awaited savior by always passionate Philly sports fans. After uncertainty regarding whether he would be able to play in the NHL before 2026 because of his contract in Russia, Michkov’s arrival in Philly this summer was a welcome surprise. His professional experience in the KHL gives him a leg up on fellow Calder contenders who were playing college or junior-level hockey before signing with their NHL teams. With the Phillies out of the baseball playoff race, the city of Philadelphia is placing all its expectations on this Russian teenager, and we expect him to deliver.
Now, enough with the positivity; let’s place some bets on the biggest losers this season. The San Jose Sharks are at +150 odds for the worst regular season record this year, but we recommend going with the Anaheim Ducks at +600. With first-round picks Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith, and a quality goalie in Yaroslav Askarov joining the roster this season, we think San Jose might just be poised to surprise everyone with a stronger-than-expected season.
And, finally, we don’t have odds on this one, but you can bet the house on a Toronto Maple Leafs first-round exit from the playoffs this year. Sure, they’ve got a new captain, a new coach, and an Oreo sponsorship to go with their milk jerseys. That doesn’t change the fact that they’ve only won a single playoff series since 2006. If you know a witch in the greater Toronto area with experience breaking curses, send her the Leafs’ way. They’ll need it.
Ellen Mollerus ’26 (ellenmollerus@college.harvard.edu) is still not over the 2024 Eastern Conference Finals.