Las Vegas online betting outlet Sports Betting Dime have released their wagering odds for the 2020-21 Hart Trophy winner as the NHL's most valuable player and Colorado Avalanche superstar Nathan MacKinnon leads the pack.
MacKinnon and New York Rangers forward Artemi Panarin were both runners up for the award in 2020 but lost out to Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl. Interesingly enough, Draisaitl is fourth on the betting odds this time around with teammate MacKinnon, teammate Connor McDavid, Panarin and 2019 winner Nikita Kucherov all ranking ahead of him.
Here's the full list:
Interesting to note that alongside teammates McDavid and Draisaitl, as well as Kucherov and Brayden Point, the Buffalo Sabres have two teammates on the list, as well. Jack Eichel is a no-brainer at this point, but he and newcomer and 2018 winner Taylor Hall are both on this list this time around. That's got to be exciting if you're a Sabres fan. We don't need to go over the entire dirty history of the Sabres, but suffice it to say that this team's fanbase hasn't had an easy go of things, especially over the past decade.
There's no guarantee that Eichel and Hall will click, but with only a one year commitment to Hall what does it hurt? Pay the guy the money he's looking for, give him a shot to play with a top tier, elite level center and hope that some magic develops. If it doesn't, well then all you've given up was salary and cap space for a single season. If the magic does develop well now you have a potential match made in heaven. While Taylor Hall to the Sabres seemed like an awkward fit when we all first heard the news, it makes perfect sense with a bit of time to reflect on things.
Frankly, I'm pulling for the Sabres this season (whenever it starts). There are few fanbases out there who have endured as much as Sabres fans have. But even after taking away this team's history, I'd like to see the team's young core do well. Eichel and 2018 1st overall pick Rasmus Dahlin are generational type players and I hate to see their talents go to waste on such an underperforming team.
