NHL training camps are officially opened and the Toronto Maple Leafs preseason is under way.
I think Leafs Nation are familiar enough with the recent history the Toronto Maple Leafs and Canadiens have so I won’t be rehashing that disappointing story. (*Breath in…breath out*).
Instead, I want to look forward to the Futures! The betting futures, specifically, with odds courtesy WynnBET.com.
I think a case could be made for every award to possibly be won by a member of the Toronto Maple Leaf this season, but I am only going to look at the main awards, starting with the scoring titles.
Rocket Richard Trophy
The clear favorite to win the Rocket Richard this year, on the Maple Leafs and in the entire league, is Auston Matthews at +150.
Not exactly blazing odds, and with the unpredictability of Matthews’ wrist injury I would not take this risk. If Matthews misses any time, or his wrist injury lingers into the season, John Tavares may have to step up.
Tavares may become a focal point in the slot or in front of the net on the Toronto Maple Leafs Powerplay, and this could lead to some easy goals. Also, with the maturity of William Nylander creating opportunities for Tavares and a consistent left winger established before the beginning of the season Tavares may have another career year in him and make his +4000 odds seems absurd. Tavares could score 50+ goals this season, and that has typically been good enough to win the Rocket Richard.