FanDuel has released odds on NHL award winners and results ahead of the 2024-25 season so let’s see where the Montreal Canadiens stack up compared to other NHL teams.
Online sportsbook FanDuel already has odds on NHL Award winners and expected results for the upcoming 2024-25 season. Although the Montreal Canadiens are still a year or two away from serious contention, some bets are safer than others to evaluate. Here are a few that stuck out.
Lane Hutson - Calder Memorial Trophy +700 Odds
Lane Hutson has the sixth-best odds to win the Calder Memorial Trophy. These are also the best odds of any of the potential award winners that will be talked about. Karine Hains wrote a more in-depth piece on this topic, so I will keep this passage brief.
There’s stiff competition obstructing Hutson’s chances. Macklin Celebrini, Matvei Michkov and Cutter Gauthier are the most favored to win, and given that they’re all forwards, it’s far more likely. Cale Makar and Matty Beniers are two recent defensemen who have won the award, but since its inaugural year of 1933, it has been awarded to a blue liner just 13 times.
Also, it’s highly unlikely that Hutson will play a full season in the NHL. The Habs have a few too many defenders jamming up the back line, and until a move or two is made, Hutson will have to continue working hard to get consistent playing time.
Martin St. Louis - Jack Adams Award Winner +3000 Odds
To reiterate, there is very little possibility of the Canadiens skipper winning the Jack Adams Award this year. However, the fact that Martin St. Louis is positioned at the 17th-best odds—albeit a nine-way tie—is an intriguing scenario.
The Jack Adams Award is at times controversial, and even though you win it, it doesn't mean that your organization is necessarily trending in the right direction – just ask Daryl Sutter. Even if you’re a finalist, it doesn’t guarantee future success: Bruce Boudreau 2022.
For St. Louis to win the award, there would need to be an upward surge in production and positive results. The fact of the matter is that the team finished last in the Atlantic Division last year, and although I don’t anticipate the same place finish, the team's hope of making a playoff spot is slim.
Montreal Canadiens Record 90+ Regular Season Points - +490 Odds
It’s sort of strange to say this so late in the article, but I’m not a betting man. That being said, I don’t hate these odds.
The Canadiens are ranked as the fifth-lowest when it comes to reaching the 90-point mark. The team finished 30-36-16 last campaign, for a total of 76 points. It may be the optimist in me, but that’s not too far off from the preset echelon. It means the team needs to put up results and make the overtime period a few more times to inch closer. Montreal would need seven more wins to reach the mark, or five wins and four ties, or whatever fashion you want to play with the numbers.
Six other teams failed to reach the 90-point mark last season. The Sabres and Senators in the Atlantic Division; the Penguins, Flyers, Devils and Blue Jackets in the Metropolitan Division. It’s still not a fair take to say the club will reach the tally. It would take a mostly healthy lineup executing consistent play at least for Montreal to have a fair chance.
