We're almost at the halfway point of the 2022-23 NHL season. Time to re-visit bets on individual awards like the Hart Trophy? We think so! Read this to get our top three bets for NHL player awards come 2023!
Hart Trophy Betting Pick
The top NHL betting sites have the Hart Trophy as a one-sided affair, however, we’re not quite sure. As it stands, Edmonton’s Connor McDavid is the runaway favorite pick to win the Hart Trophy as the odds below show:
| Player |  |  |
|---|---|---|
| Connor McDavid | -325 | -325 |
| Jason Robertson | +1400 | +1400 |
| Nikita Kucherov | +1500 | +1500 |
| David Pastrnak | +1800 | +1800 |
| Auston Matthews | +2200 | +2200 |
| Leon Draisaitl | +2500 | +2500 |
Perhaps no one should be surprised McDavid is atop the odds. The dynamic center is doing his usual — scoring boatloads of points. As of this writing, he’s up to 76, the most in the NHL by a wide margin (14 ahead of the next-best, teammate Leon Draisaitl). He leads the way in both assists and goals. McDavid has won this award twice so again, it comes as little wonder why he’s the odds-on favorite.
However, he might be favored too much for our liking. McDavid’s short line has created long lines for the rest of the field, including Jason Robertson. At +1400, he has the second-best odds right now, odds that are screaming value to us right now. Robertson is at 57 points — 28 goals and 29 assists. That puts him third in the league.
However, Robertson has one thing going for him that McDavid doesn’t: the narrative. His performance — as well as Dallas — is a big surprise. The Stars are atop the Central division and Robertson’s leap in play is a major reason why that is. If they keep it the rest of the way, Robertson’s case for the Hart Trophy is only strengthened. That’s especially true if the Oilers continue to be mediocre despite having two star players, which is currently the case.
So we’re throwing money on Robertson here. Voter fatigue is a real factor for McDavid as he goes for Hart Trophy No. 3. Plus, you can’t beat the plus-money odds you’re currently getting with Robertson.
Norris Trophy Betting Pick
The betting field is a lot closer in the Norris Trophy category. All Norris Trophy betting candidates remain plus-money at the moment. Here are the current odds:
| Player | | |
|---|---|---|
| Cale Makar | +150 | +150 |
| Erik Karlsson | +275 | +275 |
| Rasmus Dahlin | +550 | +550 |
| Adam Fox | +650 | +650 |
| Roman Josi | +1800 | +1800 |
It’s an old guard vs. new guard battle for the league’s best defenseman. Karlsson has a strong argument for being the league’s top offensive defenseman over the last 10 years or so. However, the player who has the strongest chance to succeed him for the same honor in the next 10 years is Makar. Both are having standout seasons for San Jose and Colorado. So who’s got the edge?
We’re going with Makar, the reigning award winner. Maybe the Avs aren’t faring all that well, but a major reason why they’re not slumping worse is Makar. With injuries piling up around him, Makar has been his consistent and elite self — both offensively and defensively.
Plus, we also have a nagging suspicion Karlsson might “come back down to earth” before the season ends. While he’s won this award twice before, that was in 2012 and 2015. Karlsson has not played this good in many years. His comeback season is a good story, but we’re not sure it’ll last until the regular season ends. That’s why we’re putting money on Makar first and foremost. The younger player has the “legs” to last through May.
Calder Trophy Betting Pick
The last bet we wanted to hit on was for rookie of the year. Here again, we have a heated race to win the Calder Trophy. Here are the current betting favorites per oddsmakers:
| Player | | |
|---|---|---|
| Matty Beniers | +175 | +175 |
| Pyotr Kochetkov | +300 | +300 |
| Mason MacTavish | +600 | +600 |
| Logan Thompson | +850 | +850 |
| Cole Perfetti | +1200 | +1200 |
| Stuart Skinner | +1500 | +1500 |
Beniers impact on Seattle is hard to argue against. The expansion team’s weakest spot a year ago was center. Benier’s arrival immediately plugged the position. He’s up to nine goals, which is most among rookies. But most of all, the Kraken are actually winning games this year and are in playoff position. If that holds up, Berniers will deservingly earn the credit.
But a player that’s shooting up the odds is Thompson. The rookie goaltender was named as an All-Star a few days ago and earned every bit of it. The rookie has notched 18 wins with a save percentage of .915. The efforts helped Thompson become the first rookie goaltender to be named to the All-Star Game since 2016.
Many wrote off Las Vegas when penciled-in starter Robin Lehner was lost for the year during the offseason, but Thompson has become a future franchise leader in a matter of 30 games or so. We think Thompson is worth taking a bet on here, especially at his current line of +850.
How To Bet On 2023 NHL Player Futures?
You can bet on ALL the 2023 NHL player futures you can think of at one of the online sportsbooks below. Yes, other awards like Vezina and Jack Adams Trophy are also available there. Odds will move almost daily so get in this now if you want to lock on the odds you see listed above.
One last thing before we let you go: pay close attention to the underneath table. We’ve listed only the very best sportsbooks here, evidenced by our latest sportsbook reviews. Part of what makes them the best is their big-money sign-up bonuses, which are detailed below too. You can use these bonuses to fund your NHL bets for free!
