With teams moving on and advancing in the postseason, the excitement across the NHL keeps on going up and up. Thanks to some incredible games, the first round truly has been nothing short of sensational. Things will only get better from here. In this piece, we have our updated NHL futures picks for the Stanley Cup playoffs, which of course includes our outright winner.
The Avalanche have seen their odds to win it all skyrocket this month and it’s easy to understand why. Colorado was nothing short of dominant in the first round of the NHL playoffs, sweeping the St. Louis Blues 4-0. Many out there figured the Blues would have a shot of at least making things interesting going up against Colorado, but the opposite proved to be the case.
The Avalanche took down the Blues in Game 1, 4-1, then followed that up with victories of 6-3, 5-1 and 5-2 to close out the four-game sweep. For Colorado to outscore St. Louis 20-7 in the series was nothing short of incredible. That’s the textbook definition of reigning supreme over someone. At the same time, this must have sent a total panic to the other teams in the NHL.
| Stanley Cup odds | MyBookie | Bovada |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado | +270 | +270 | +270 | +270 |
| Boston | +500 | +500 | +500 | +500 |
| Toronto | +550 | +550 | +550 | +550 |
| Vegas | +650 | +650 | +650 | +650 |
With Colorado’s superb performance, the team now holds +270 odds to win the Stanley Cup title. Again, this is a large increase from where things stood for them before the postseason got underway. Elsewhere, the Bruins are at +500, the Maple Leafs are +550 and the Golden Knights are +650. The question everyone wants to know is will anyone be able to upset the Avalanche?
We don’t think so. This is why we’re going to Colorado as our pick to win the NHL Stanley Cup championship. What benefits them going into the next round is since they cruised to a 4-0 win over St. Louis, they received extra time off to prepare. This of course will be a major benefit. With the offense exploding too, this will only help them reach their goals of winning the cup. They’re our pick. Book it.
With Colorado being the top dogs thus far in the playoffs, Nathan MacKinnon leads everyone with his Conn Smythe Trophy odds. Remember, this honor is given to the MVP of the Stanley Cup postseason and typically goes to a player on the squad who wins it all. Because of this, if Colorado indeed goes on to be the champs, which we are predicting, MacKinnon should end up with the MVP.
As things indeed do heat up, MacKinnon’s chances of winning it continue to grow. As of this writing, MacKinnon holds +650 NHL odds to win the Conn Smythe Trophy. Behind him, the odds aren’t that great for the other players. What is best to keep in mind in this instance would be to eye someone whose team has a strong shot of winning the Stanley Cup.
So if for whatever reason you decide that you want to go against MacKinnon, selecting someone from Vegas, Boston or Toronto would be a wise choice, as they have the top odds behind Colorado to potentially go on to lift the cup in the near future. With that said, with us taking Colorado to win it all, there’s no question MacKinnon is our pick to win MVP here. He’s got what it takes to have a memorable postseason and help his side win the cup.
While the focus for NHL fans right now is no question the Stanley Cup postseason, don’t forget about the Hart Memorial Trophy. The award is given to the Most Valuable Player for the NHL Awards. This comes for the best of the best for the regular season, and not just focused on the postseason. While the odds haven’t been released yet, Connor McDavid feels like a lock to win it.
The Edmonton Oilers star was terrific this year, as he managed to record a mind-blowing 105 points in 56 games. McDavid scored 33 goals and added 72 assists. He did all of that in only 56 games? This is a stat that continues to blow people’s minds. Other players in the mix to potentially win the Hart Trophy are Auston Matthews, MacKinnon, Sidney Crosby and others.
With all of the amazing play we saw this season, it’s no surprise that multiple players are in the hunt to win the Hart Trophy. Despite that, McDavid really stood out above the rest. Once the odds do officially come out for the Hart Trophy, it’d be stunning if he isn’t the favorite. McDavid is our pick for this one.
