New Jersey Devils. (photo via Getty Images)
It is not perfect by any stretch, but preseason odds give a decent idea of expectations on potential performances. With the season starting in a few days let’s take a look at what the betting market expects from the New Jersey Devils. All betting odds are from DraftKings, as they have a comprehensive list of future bets for league end-of-season awards.
Team Performance
Make The Playoffs
In the oversimplified category of just making the playoffs New Jersey has the sixth-best odds out of the 16-team Eastern Conference at -140. They have the third-best division odds. Reigning Stanley Cup champions the Carolina Hurricanes are first and second is a somewhat surprising entrant of the Washington Capitals.
Stanley Cup, Eastern Conference Odds
The Devils place in the Eastern Conference championship odds matched their place on the “make the playoffs” list in sixth. Their odds are +1400 to win the conference and make the cup final. To actually win the Stanley Cup, the Devils are placed in the league’s top-half at 12th with +2700 odds. An interesting team placed above them include the Utah Mammoth at +2500. The Florida Panthers are the odds-on favorite at +650.
Jack Hughes. (photo via NHL.com)
Individual Awards
Hart Trophy
Jack Hughes opens the season with the ninth-best odds to be the league’s MVP with +2500 odds. No doubt Hughes gets a major bump in the betting odds after scoring the golden goal in Milan last year. Remember that magical 2022-2023 season when Hughes stayed mostly healthy? If he stays healthy and repeats that production Hughes can firmly place himself in the Hart Trophy conversation so those odds seem incredibly fair.
Hughes is the Metropolitan Division player with the best odds but he’s not the only Devil. Captain Nico Hischier appears way at the bottom of the odds at +30000 tied with 18 other players. Those players include fellow Metropolitan Division skaters Porter Martone of the Philadelphia Flyers, Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals, and Zach Werenski of the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Vezina Trophy
Let’s not act like goaltending isn’t the team’s biggest question mark. Presumptive starter Jake Allen has the 20th-best odds at winning the Vezina at +6000. Former Devils goaltenders turned Colorado Avalanche tandem Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgwood rank slightly above him both tied at +5000 odds. The recently departed Jakob Markstrom finds himself in the top-ten with the sixth-best odds at +1400.
Norris Trophy
Luke Hughes and Dougie Hamilton are both down-ballot long shots with +30000 odds. For those curious, Quinn Hughes is second with +400 odds.
Rocket Richard Trophy
Jack Hughes is the Devils’ only player finding himself on the league’s top goal scorer odds. He currently sits at +4000.