The All-Star Break is winding down and with a silent Monday for NHL action, what better time to take an updated look at the NHL futures?
The Stanley Cup drought has been long and protracted for Canadian fans and if the playoffs started today, only two of the 16 contestants would be from the Great White North.
While the glass may be half empty in that regard, an optimist might suggest that it’s half full when you consider that as many as three other Canadian teams are within five points of qualifying.
Here’s a look at the updated NHL futures on the seven Canadian teams along with an update on how they’ve fared recently:
(These NHL Futures Odds are available at Bodog)
1. Vancouver Canucks
This Week: 13:2 (win $650 on a $100 bet)
Last Check: 13:2
The Canucks are currently second in the Western Conference with 64 points and although they had a shaky start to the year, they’ve all but clinched a top-three seed in the West already.
Vancouver is 6-2-1 in their last nine and has the biggest division lead of any team in the league. The Minnesota Wild are a distant second with just 55 points with Colorado (54) and Calgary (52) even further back.
Without a doubt, the Canucks still look like Canada’s best shot at returning the Cup and at 13:2, they have the shortest odds of any team in the West – including the Detroit Red Wings (10:1), who sit atop the standings with 67 points.
2. Toronto Maple Leafs
This Week: 30:1 (win $3000 on a $100 bet)
Last Check: 30:1
The Leafs have won three of four to pull into a tie with the Florida Panthers and New Jersey Devils for the seventh and eighth playoff spots in the Eastern Conference. They’ll need to keep that hot streak going as their performance immediately after the All-Star Break will be quite telling.
Seven of their next 10 games are on the road with six of the first seven involving Eastern Conference teams also in the playoff race. Laying an egg in these spots will catch up to them whereas a good stretch can give them a leg up.
Things are going well for them right now as goaltender Jonas Gustavsson has won seven of his last 10 starts and the penalty killing units have not allowed a goal in January so far.
3. Ottawa Senators
This Week: 35:1 (win $3500 on a $100 bet)
Last Check: 35:1
The Sens have been one of the biggest surprises in the NHL, but their final 30 games will decide how they’ll be remembered.
They’re currently sixth in the Eastern Conference with 60 points but they’ve lost three straight. They were also hosting the All-Star festivities this weekend with four players participating, so they may not have gotten as much of a rest as some of the other teams.
Also, the Sens have played 52 games already, which is the most in the NHL. They hold a five-point lead on the Leafs, Panthers and Devils, but when you consider that the latter two have four games in hand, the lead whittles down quite a bit.
Ottawa might also want to monitor the minutes of Craig Anderson, who leads all goaltenders in ice time. They’ll need him fresh down the stretch.
4. Winnipeg Jets
This Week: 60:1 (win $6000 on a $100 bet)
Last Check: 60:1
As good as December was to the Winnipeg Jets, January has been equally as bad.
The Jets went 10-3-1 in the final month of the 2011 calendar but so far have just three wins in 11 games in 2012.
The main difference has been their goal differential, which was 0.57 in December but is -1.25 in January.
The culprit? An offense which has gone to sleep completely. The Jets are averaging just 1.67 goals per game in January even though they average 2.46 per game on the season.
5. Calgary Flames
This Week: 60:1 (win $6000 on a $100 bet)
Last Check: 60:1
The Flames’ NHL futures are picking up as the team is heating up at the right time. They are 5-2-1 in their last eight and have climbed to within three points of a playoff berth.
One area of the team that hasn’t been so bright has been their scoring.
The Flames scored six goals against the Edmonton Oilers last Saturday, but in the other five games before that, they notched just four goals. On the season, they’ve tallied just 120 goals, which is the fourth-fewest in the West.
As usual, the burden is all on captain Jarome Iginla and while that can work in spurts, it’s not likely to produce a playoff berth.
6. Montreal Canadiens
This Week: 75:1 (win $7500 on a $100 bet)
Last Check: 75:1
Once again the Montreal Canadiens have some momentum, but the question is can they keep it going? They’ve failed to do so all season long as they don’t have a winning streak longer than two games since late October/early November.
They’re currently on a two-game winning streak, which includes an impressive 7-2 showing over the league-leading Red Wings.
The road is paved to keep that success going as the Habs will only play one team with more than 55 points in their next eight (Pittsburgh) and with an eight-point gap between them and the final playoff spot, they better take advantage of the schedule.
7. Edmonton Oilers
This Week: 150:1 (win $15000 on a $100 bet)
Last Check: 150:1
There’s not much for the Oilers to hang their hats on these days. They have the longest NHL futures to win the Stanley Cup and to be quite fair, they are already looking ahead to next season in those respects.
They have done a good job recently, though, taking three of a possible four points from the San Jose Sharks and Vancouver Canucks heading into the All-Star Break. A good second-half finish could springboard them to a good start in 2012-13.
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