As we approach the New Year, it gives us some time to reflect on what the 2024-25 NHL season has presented to us and what else is to come.
The Winter Classic is a couple of days away, the halfway mark in the NHL calendar, so in preparation, I've whipped up a few NHL futures for your betting pleasure as we gear up for the second half of the season.
Take a look at my future NHL picks and predictions.
Macklin Celebrini to Win Calder Trophy (-145)
27 GP, 12G, 15A, 27P
Let’s get the obvious choice out of the way.
We all expected Macklin Celebrini to be a stud, but I’m not sure we expected this type of dominance to start his professional career. Funny enough, as I’m typing this, he just sent home a one-time clapper to tie up the game against Calgary.
MACKLIN CELEBRINI 🤩
He now leads all rookies in goals!
📺: @Sportsnet or stream on Sportsnet+ ➡️ https://t.co/4KjbdjVctFpic.twitter.com/Y3MbVw5gHh
— NHL (@NHL) December 29, 2024
Despite missing the first month of the season, he remains the firm favorite to win the Calder Trophy. No one, except Matvei Michkov, has repeated the same type of production Celebrini has, averaging a point per game with 12 goals and 15 assists.
The 2024 first-overall draft pick has built an exceptional connection with fellow young superstar Will Smith, as well as sniper Fabian Zetterlund. The three of them have accounted for a majority of the Sharks’ production.
I don’t foresee the Sharks doing much damage this season, as there’s a lot more work to do in building a contender, but the work of Celebrini is hard to ignore.
At -145, I have a lot of confidence in thinking this number is only going to go up the more he continues to dazzle. If you haven’t bet on him early in the season, I would do it now while he still has some value left.
Nathan MacKinnon to Win Hart Trophy (+600)
37 GP, 14G, 46A, 60P
Nathan MacKinnon being listed at +600 to win the MVP is laughable. Is it because he won last year? Do oddsmakers think a repeat is out of the question?
If the answer is yes, they clearly don’t know who we’re dealing with.
Nate Dogg, as the kids call him, not only leads the league in assists by a wide margin but points, too. He’s averaging more than a point and a half and looks to be a man on a mission yet again.
The Colorado Avalanche also addressed a major weakness that was hampering their team for the past season and a half. They traded Alexandar Georgiev to acquire Mackenzie Blackwood from the Sharks and then rewarded him with a shiny five-year contract.
Since arriving in Denver, Blackwood’s been an absolute beauty, posting a .940 SV% in five starts and only allowing 1.82 goals per game.
An elite goaltender can only elevate MacKinnon’s status with voters, and I’d have to imagine that the Avalanche make an enormous run this season. A big run for the Avs can only mean another Hart Trophy on Nate Dogg’s mantle.
Detroit Red Wings to Make Playoffs (+2000)
13-18-4 30 Points
I am taking a shot in the dark here, only wagering 0.2 units, but I can’t say I’m not intrigued.
If you read my best bets edition right after the St. Louis Blues hired Jim Montgomery, you’ll know I’m a big believer in “new coach luck.”
The Detroit Red Wings fired their coach, Derek Lalonde and brought in seasoned veteran Todd McClellan. The silver fox has had a prestigious career behind the bench but never was able to achieve the big one as the bench boss.
I’ve always liked McClellan’s approach to the game, though, and I think he can bring a lot out of the Wings. He’s seen it all, from coaching elite veterans like Joe Thornton and Joe Pavelski to bringing the current stars of the league in, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl to their first playoffs.
Detroit is armed with talent, and many believed this year would be the year it would take the next step. Unfortunately, the Wings have the second-worst record in the East, eight points out of the nearest playoff spot and have lost four in a row.
Believe it or not, though, they’ve been playing some solid hockey. This month, they’re 14th in 5-on-5 expected goals with a 51.31 xGF% and 10th defensively with a 2.77 xGA/60.
The big question mark is goaltending. Cam Talbot is a fine goalie, but can the 37-year-old sustain a full season as a playoff contender? I have my doubts, but I’m still a believer in the “Yzer-Plan” orchestrated by General Manager Steve Yzerman.
Rocket Richard Options
23-24 Winner: Auston Matthews with 69 Goals
Goal scoring is so volatile, but the options are fun to run through. Here are some to consider for the league’s leading scorer:
Leon Draisaitl (+250)
34 GP, 24G, 28A, 52P
An obvious choice. Draisaitl has consistently been one of the NHL’s most dangerous scorers, and sharing the ice with Connor McDavid helps mightily.
However, as one of the more prolific scorers in the league, he’s never won this award. He finished second twice in 2019 and 2022, but this year, he leads the league with 24.
It won’t be easy, though, with several players gunning for the top spot, but barring injury, expecting Draisaitl to stay in contention isn’t out of the question.
Kirill Kaprizov (+350)
34 GP, 23G, 27A, 50P
Right behind is Kaprizov with 23 goals. The Russian dynamo is no stranger to lighting the lamp. He’s registered at least 40 goals for three consecutive seasons and is on pace for a fourth.
The Minnesota Wild are having an impressive season, all things considered. They have $15 million locked in dead cap, but Bill Guerin has done an incredible job surrounding Kaprizov with a myriad of pieces that have helped the Wild into a contending team.
At +350, locking in Kaprizov to win the Rocket is an opportunity that’s hard to pass up. Even though he’s in a tight battle with some lethal snipers, you should expect him to at least finish in the top three.
William Nylander (+850)
36 GP, 23G, 18A, 41P
Nylander’s teammate Auston Matthews has won this trophy in three out of the past four seasons, but that looks like it’ll change this season due to injury issues.
The speedy Swede is also in the hunt, tied with Kaprizov for second in goals with 23. It’s a bit surprising to see unfavorable odds, considering he’s shown he can score at an elite level with 40 goals in the past two seasons.
But there’s always a chance he falls behind once Matthews starts playing more consistently. I’d be more careful betting on Nylander, but given his current pace, those odds are tantalizing.
Kyle Connor (+2000)
36 GP, 21G, 26A, 47P
I'm doing this because I love Connor. He will never get recognition because of where he plays, but his talent is impossible to ignore.
A speedy wing with a rocket of a shot, it’s only fair he wins the Rocket Richard, right?
Three seasons ago, he netted 47 goals and he never reached that mark since. He’s consistently been a 30-goal scorer, but for someone of his nature, he should be up with the big boys.
With his talent and his ability to light it up, I can’t pass up on at least throwing a quarter of a unit on KC.
