It's September. The ice is soft at this time of year, just like the NHL betting lines. Welcome to the start of training camp, where you'll find early-bird shoppers scouring the futures market for the right team at the right price.
Getting there early is just the smart thing to do. The betting public is typically slow responding to change; this year, the Chicago Blackhawks are 6-1 favorites to defend the Stanley Cup despite major roster changes at every position except defense. The Blackhawks paid out at 12-1 last year ahead of the 6-1 co-favorites, the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins ? who were fresh off playing in the 2009 Stanley Cup final. Now it's Chicago at the top of the odds list, fighting off a hungry pack of viable Cup contenders with higher paydays attached.
The situation in Chicago is rather alarming from a hockey standpoint. The Blackhawks hit the salary cap wall after winning the Cup, shedding Dustin Byfuglien, Kris Versteeg, Andrew Ladd and goaltender Antti Niemi among others. The Niemi move may or not pay off; Chicago signed Marty Turco instead and saved about $1.5 million for this year. But Cristobal Huet has gone to play in Switzerland, as well, so Chicago has depth concerns in goal as well as up front.
Meanwhile, the other 2010 Stanley Cup finalists are 14-1 to take that one last step. The Philadelphia Flyers barely made it into the playoffs last year, but they did, and they proceeded to upset everyone in their path before finally succumbing to Chicago in six games. That 14-1 price tag for 2010-11 shows a lack of faith in Philadelphia's goaltending. Journeyman Michael Leighton rescued Philadelphia with a .918 save percentage after getting picked up off the waiver wire in December. If Leighton can sustain that level, Philly is in good shape everywhere else.
Those are the kind of "ifs" you'll naturally encounter at this price level. Blackhawks supporters felt just as shaky about their goaltending combo last year, and goaltending was indeed something of an issue throughout their season. But Flyers GM Paul Holmgren isn't just hanging Leighton out to dry. He added depth to the blueline with Andrej Meszaros, Matt Walker and Sean O'Donnell, so the Flyers won't suffer from a lack of warm bodies like they have in recent years. Blueline depth is also what kept Chicago's goaltenders from overexposure.
Imagine how they feel in Montreal. The Canadiens (25-1) chose to trade playoff hero Jaroslav Halak (.924 save percentage) to the St. Louis Blues for a pair of prospects, thus handing Carey Price (.912 SV%) the undisputed No. 1 job. Price has run hot and cold in his three years with the team, but at this point, he's undervalued in a market that had fallen in love with Halak. Again, if Price is up to the task, there are enough players in front of him to make some more noise come playoff time.
Compare that situation to the one in Boston, where the Bruins (14-1) still have both Tuukka Rask (.931 SV%) and Tim Thomas (.915 SV%) at their disposal. They also have an elite rookie prospect in center Tyler Seguin, the second overall pick from the 2010 draft who is being compared to a young Steve Yzerman. If the B's stay healthy this time, they could shoot right back to the top of the Eastern Conference where they sat just two years ago.
And speaking of Yzerman, the Red Wings (11-1) are looking for a similar reversal of fortune. They nearly cratered last year after Chris Osgood (.888 SV%) got off to a slow start, but Jimmy Howard (.924 SV%) came in and grew quickly into one of the best young goaltenders in the sport. The Red Wings were smacked around by injuries last year, just like the Bruins. Some better health and the return of LW Jiri Hudler from the KHL could be all Detroit needs to recover its Hockeytown luster ? with Mike Modano as the poster boy, no less.
There are other, stronger candidates to win the Stanley Cup - starting with the Washington Capitals at 13-2 and the Penguins at 7-1. But the field has been blown wide open in the age of the salary cap. Even fringe candidates like the Anaheim Ducks and Calgary Flames are worthy of some consideration at 35-1. For now, it's a buyer's market.
Getting there early is just the smart thing to do. The betting public is typically slow responding to change; this year, the Chicago Blackhawks are 6-1 favorites to defend the Stanley Cup despite major roster changes at every position except defense. The Blackhawks paid out at 12-1 last year ahead of the 6-1 co-favorites, the Detroit Red Wings and Pittsburgh Penguins ? who were fresh off playing in the 2009 Stanley Cup final. Now it's Chicago at the top of the odds list, fighting off a hungry pack of viable Cup contenders with higher paydays attached.
The situation in Chicago is rather alarming from a hockey standpoint. The Blackhawks hit the salary cap wall after winning the Cup, shedding Dustin Byfuglien, Kris Versteeg, Andrew Ladd and goaltender Antti Niemi among others. The Niemi move may or not pay off; Chicago signed Marty Turco instead and saved about $1.5 million for this year. But Cristobal Huet has gone to play in Switzerland, as well, so Chicago has depth concerns in goal as well as up front.
Meanwhile, the other 2010 Stanley Cup finalists are 14-1 to take that one last step. The Philadelphia Flyers barely made it into the playoffs last year, but they did, and they proceeded to upset everyone in their path before finally succumbing to Chicago in six games. That 14-1 price tag for 2010-11 shows a lack of faith in Philadelphia's goaltending. Journeyman Michael Leighton rescued Philadelphia with a .918 save percentage after getting picked up off the waiver wire in December. If Leighton can sustain that level, Philly is in good shape everywhere else.
Those are the kind of "ifs" you'll naturally encounter at this price level. Blackhawks supporters felt just as shaky about their goaltending combo last year, and goaltending was indeed something of an issue throughout their season. But Flyers GM Paul Holmgren isn't just hanging Leighton out to dry. He added depth to the blueline with Andrej Meszaros, Matt Walker and Sean O'Donnell, so the Flyers won't suffer from a lack of warm bodies like they have in recent years. Blueline depth is also what kept Chicago's goaltenders from overexposure.
Imagine how they feel in Montreal. The Canadiens (25-1) chose to trade playoff hero Jaroslav Halak (.924 save percentage) to the St. Louis Blues for a pair of prospects, thus handing Carey Price (.912 SV%) the undisputed No. 1 job. Price has run hot and cold in his three years with the team, but at this point, he's undervalued in a market that had fallen in love with Halak. Again, if Price is up to the task, there are enough players in front of him to make some more noise come playoff time.
Compare that situation to the one in Boston, where the Bruins (14-1) still have both Tuukka Rask (.931 SV%) and Tim Thomas (.915 SV%) at their disposal. They also have an elite rookie prospect in center Tyler Seguin, the second overall pick from the 2010 draft who is being compared to a young Steve Yzerman. If the B's stay healthy this time, they could shoot right back to the top of the Eastern Conference where they sat just two years ago.
And speaking of Yzerman, the Red Wings (11-1) are looking for a similar reversal of fortune. They nearly cratered last year after Chris Osgood (.888 SV%) got off to a slow start, but Jimmy Howard (.924 SV%) came in and grew quickly into one of the best young goaltenders in the sport. The Red Wings were smacked around by injuries last year, just like the Bruins. Some better health and the return of LW Jiri Hudler from the KHL could be all Detroit needs to recover its Hockeytown luster ? with Mike Modano as the poster boy, no less.
There are other, stronger candidates to win the Stanley Cup - starting with the Washington Capitals at 13-2 and the Penguins at 7-1. But the field has been blown wide open in the age of the salary cap. Even fringe candidates like the Anaheim Ducks and Calgary Flames are worthy of some consideration at 35-1. For now, it's a buyer's market.
