With the NHL trade deadline of March 8 looming, now is the perfect time for bettors to proactively find betting value in the NHL futures market.
This year’s deadline is set to be a wild one as several marquee players are expected to be available. A slew of fringe teams will be forced to decide whether to load up for a potential playoff run – or sell with an eye toward the future.
The NHL's unmatched parity makes for an always-exciting lead-up to the NHL trade deadline, and the party has already started this year with the Vancouver Canucks acquiring Elias Lindholm and the Winnipeg Jets adding Sean Monahan over the All-Star break.
This year's flurry comes after we saw Timo Meier, Bo Horvat, Ryan O’Reilly, Jakob Chychrun, Patrick Kane and Vladimir Tarasenko, among many others, get dealt ahead of last year's trade deadline.
So, here's where to find some current value on the NHL futures market ahead of the trade deadline – before it's too late – as we pick which bubble teams are likely to make or miss the NHL playoffs.
NHL Teams to Make/Miss Playoffs — Best Value Bets
Philadelphia Flyers
Projected to be a lottery team, the Flyers have enjoyed a storybook 2023-2024 season thus far, and they currently hold the third spot in the Metropolitan Division.
Philadelphia sits six points ahead of the New Jersey Devils. However, New Jersey has two games in hand, so the Flyers are listed at plus money (+145) to miss the playoffs at bet365 and DraftKings.
While the Flyers continue to impress and find ways to win, new general manager Daniel Briere appears poised to stick to his long-term plan. Thus, despite their position in the standings, look for Philadelphia to ship off its in-demand assets in an effort to continue building the foundation for a bright future.
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At this point, the Flyers own some of the hottest names known to be on the market. Scott Laughton, an effective bottom-six center coming off an 18-goal season, is thought to be available. As are depth defensemen Sean Walker and Nick Seeler, who have emerged as a reliable pair on Philadelphia's back end. Even young, middle-six center Morgan Frost looks to be potentially headed for a change of scenery.
It’s entirely possible the Flyers could swing some trades and still manage to sneak into the playoffs – John Tortorella’s squad has been defying the odds all year. But if the Flyers part with perhaps three or four regulars, there is certainly value in taking them to miss the playoffs at plus money while you still can. It’s a matter of time until these odds move.
Pick: Philadelphia Flyers to MISS the Playoffs (+145 at bet365 & DraftKings)
New Jersey Devils
With Jack Hughes' return to the lineup, the Devils appear to be getting back to their winning ways. Since the All-Star break, they are 3-1-1, and despite their struggles throughout January, they find themselves just two points out of the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
Still, New Jersey is listed at only -115 to make the playoffs at ESPN BET. At that number, I'm jumping on the Devils while I can.
It has long felt like this Devils team is too talented to miss the playoffs. It's easy to forget, but after taking down the New York Rangers in the first round of last year's playoffs, New Jersey was considered a legitimate Stanley Cup contender entering this season.
Instead, the team has been plagued by poor goaltending, leaky defensive play and injuries.
Now, the Devils look to have finally put it all together.
”Jack Hughes scores!” is music to our ears. pic.twitter.com/SeGq89vYGz
— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) February 14, 2024
Not only are they back healthy, but their defensive-zone play is much improved following some adjustments during the hiatus. Although New Jersey's netminders have come up with some key saves of late, goaltending is still this team's weakness.
If the Devils can make a major addition between the pipes ahead of the trade deadline, it becomes very hard to see how Lindy Ruff's squad doesn't find its way into the playoffs. Reports have surfaced that New Jersey recently came close to acquiring Calgary Flames goalie Jacob Markstrom, who ranks third among starters in GSAx/60.
Other elite netminders who appear to be available for the right price include the Anaheim Ducks' John Gibson and the Nashville Predators' Juuse Saros. Even if the Devils were to settle for a veteran addition like Marc-Andre Fleury or Jake Allen, it might be enough to get them over the hump.
Ultimately, New Jersey has ample cap space and assets to swing a major deal. General manager Tom Fitzgerald has shown he understands that his team's window is now, as proven by the addition of Timo Meier a year ago. I expect the Devils to be aggressive again, and if they are, their playoff odds will shorten significantly.
Pick: New Jersey Devils to MAKE the Playoffs (-115 at ESPN BET)
Pittsburgh Penguins
Seven points out of a wild-card spot with two games in hand, the Penguins are a team that will be faced with some difficult decisions in the coming weeks.
After acquiring Erik Karlsson and extending Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin over the last two offseasons, Pittsburgh has remained steadfast in its commitment to continuing to try to contend with its current core group. But as of mid-February, the results just haven't been there for the Penguins, and they have yet to round into the necessary form for any sort of legitimate Cup run, nonetheless a playoff berth.
As a result, new general manager Kyle Dubas may be forced to start looking toward the future, which could mean dealing Jake Guentzel for a massive haul.
With the 29-year-old set for a massive payday this summer as a pending unrestricted free agent, Pittsburgh would be wise to cash in on its top asset while it can.
If the Penguins were to move Guentzel, who is tied with Sidney Crosby for the team lead with 52 points in 50 games and would likely become the hottest name on the market, they would effectively be waving the white flag on the season. Therefore, they'd likely look to recoup assets for other valuable veterans, such as Reilly Smith, Lars Eller and Marcus Petterson, in what would be their first steps toward a rebuild.
Despite this very realistic possibility, Pittsburgh's odds to miss the playoffs are just -130 at DraftKings. A bet against Crosby is always a risky one, but as far as I'm concerned, it's only a matter of time until the Penguins mail it in.
At this price, it's worth betting on Father Time to finally catch up to them.
