Wednesday 10/12/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

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[superbeets]

German Bundesliga Fr 14Oct 19:30

B Dortmund

v

Hertha Berlin

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT3		1/4	5	9	More markets

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT B DORTMUND	RECENT FORM
AWHWAWHWHDAL​ Most recent​	3 - 1 2 - 0 1 - 2 1 - 2	HWAWHWALADHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Dortmund have scored 11 times in three home league games this season

EXPERT VERDICT: Hertha sit second in the Bundesliga after a surprisingly fast start to the campaign but the boys from Berlin could be on the wrong end of a heavy defeat in Dortmund. The hosts have been rampant in front of their own fans this term and Hertha should be outclassed.

RECOMMENDATION: Dortmund to win 4-1
1

​

 

[superbeets]

French Ligue 1 Fr 14Oct 19:45

Nice

v

Lyon

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT S		13/8	23/10	8/5	More markets

​

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT NICE	RECENT FORM
HLADHWAWALHW​ Most recent​	3 - 0 1 - 3 0 - 1 1 - 1	HWADHWALALHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Mario Balotelli has scored six goals in five games for Nice

EXPERT VERDICT: Ligue 1 leaders Nice are boosted by Mario Balotelli having his red card from before the international break quashed but Lucien Favre’s outfit are punching above their weight and their shot ratio of 0.42 per cent is third-worst in the division. Expect them to drop soon with Lyon more than capable of taking a positive result.

RECOMMENDATION: Lyon
1

 

[superbeets]

Spanish La Liga Fr 14Oct 19:45

Las Palmas

v

Espanyol

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS5		11/10	23/10	5/2	More markets

​

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT LAS PALMAS	RECENT FORM
HWALHWALHDAD​ Most recent​	4 - 0 2 - 0 1 - 0	HDADHLAWHLHD​ Most recent​

EXPERT VERDICT: Only the top four - Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Seville - average more shots on target than Las Palmas in La Liga this season with the Gran Canarian outfit particularly strong at home with wins over Malaga and Granada as well as a draw with Real Madrid. Visitors Espanyol look a poor side this term.

RECOMMENDATION: Las Palmas
1

 

[superbeets]

Spanish La Liga Sa 15Oct 12:00

Leganes

v

Seville

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS5		9/4	11/5	5/4	More markets

​

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT LEGANES	RECENT FORM
HDALHLAWHLAW​ Most recent​	Unknown	ADADHWALHWHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Leganes have picked up only one of their ten points at home this season

EXPERT VERDICT: All three of Leganes’ league victories this season have come away from home while Seville’s four wins were all on their own patch so this fixture gives both clubs the chance to break a duck. Seville’s winless run away from home in La Liga stretches back to the final day of the 2014-15 season but draws at Villarreal and Eibar are decent results and this looks a decent opportunity to end their struggles on the road.

RECOMMENDATION: Seville
1

 

[superbeets]

Premier League Sa 15Oct 12:30

Chelsea

v

Leicester

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS1		4/7	3	9/2	More markets

​

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT CHELSEA	RECENT FORM
HWADHLAD*ALAW​ Most recent​	1 - 1 2 - 0 5 - 2 4 - 3	AWHWHD*ALHWHD​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Diego Costa has scored six Premier League goals this season

EXPERT VERDICT: Diego Costa has been the main man for Antonio Conte this season with the forward notching in five of Chelsea’s seven Premier League matches and he can hit the target again. Leicester's Premier League away days have been horrendous with a 2-1 loss at Hull followed by 4-1 thrashings at Liverpool and Manchester United.

RECOMMENDATION: D Costa first goalscorer
2

 

[superbeets]

Premier League Sa 15Oct 15:00

Bournemouth

v

Hull

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
		4/5	12/5	15/4	More markets

​

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT BOURNEMOUTH	RECENT FORM
ADHWALHD*HWAD​ Most recent​	0 - 4 0 - 0 2 - 0 2 - 3	HLADHLAWALHL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Hull have taken just one point from their last five games

EXPERT VERDICT: Hull’s encouraging start has petered out and the Tigers are conceding an alarming number of goals – 11 in their last three games. Bournemouth have been in good form on the south coast and can take advantage to claim their third consecutive home Premier League victory.

RECOMMENDATION: Bournemouth
3

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL Future Odds

Odds to win 2016 World Cup of Hockey (10/1/16)
Team Odds

Canada 4/5
Russia 9/2
Sweden 5/1
USA 6/1
Finland 14/1
North America U23 14/1
Czech Republic 20/1
Team Europe 35/1


Odds to win 2017 Stanley Cup (6/25/17)
Team Odds

Washington Capitals 11/2
Los Angeles Kings 6/1
Pittsburgh Penguins 7/1
Chicago Blackhawks 15/2
Dallas Stars 15/2
Minnesota Wild 15/1
Montreal Canadiens 15/1
New York Rangers 15/1
St Louis Blues 15/1
Tampa Bay Lightning 15/1
San Jose Sharks 18/1
Anaheim Ducks 20/1
New York Islanders 20/1
Boston Bruins 22/1
Detroit Red Wings 22/1
Florida Panthers 25/1
Nashville Predators 25/1
Ottawa Senators 60/1
Arizona Coyotes 70/1
Calgary Flames 75/1
Colorado Avalanche 75/1
Edmonton Oilers 75/1
New Jersey Devils 75/1
Winnipeg Jets 75/1
Vancouver Canucks 85/1
Columbus Blue Jackets 100/1
Philadelphia Flyers 100/1
Toronto Maple Leafs 100/1
Buffalo Sabres 200/1
Carolina Hurricanes 200/1


Odds to win 2017 Eastern Conference (6/10/17)
Team Odds

Washington Capitals 11/4
Pittsburgh Penguins 13/4
Montreal Canadiens 13/2
New York Rangers 13/2
Tampa Bay Lightning 13/2
New York Islanders 8/1
Boston Bruins 10/1
Detroit Red Wings 10/1
Florida Panthers 12/1
Ottawa Senators 20/1
New Jersey Devils 35/1
Philadelphia Flyers 40/1
Columbus Blue Jackets 50/1
Toronto Maple Leafs 50/1
Buffalo Sabres 100/1
Carolina Hurricanes 100/1


Odds to win 2017 Western Conference (6/10/17)
Team Odds

Los Angeles Kings 5/2
Chicago Blackhawks 7/2
Dallas Stars 7/2
Minnesota Wild 7/1
St Louis Blues 7/1
San Jose Sharks 8/1
Anaheim Ducks 9/1
Nashville Predators 12/1
Arizona Coyotes 35/1
Calgary Flames 35/1
Colorado Avalanche 35/1
Edmonton Oilers 35/1
Winnipeg Jets 35/1
Vancouver Canucks 40/1


How To Bet NHL Futures

The “Odds to Win” wager in pro football is also commonly referred to as a future wager. Bettors must correctly select a team to win an event that takes place a later time. The money wagered will be tied up until there is an outcome and bettors will receive fixed odds when they place the wager. The future odds are normally updated on a weekly basis and wagers can be placed throughout the season.

To figure out your Win Amount, take the odds and multiply by the amount wagered. Ex. Boston Bruins (10/1) to win the NHL Stanley Cup Finals. The Bruins are listed as a 10/1 betting choice to win the Stanley Cup Finals. If you wager $100 on Boston to win the Stanley Cup Finals and it captures the championship, then you would win $1,000 (10 ÷ 1 x 100). You would collect $1,100, which includes your win and stake ($100).

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL Future Odds

Odds to win 2016 World Cup of Hockey (10/1/16)
Team Odds

Canada 4/5
Russia 9/2
Sweden 5/1
USA 6/1
Finland 14/1
North America U23 14/1
Czech Republic 20/1
Team Europe 35/1


Odds to win 2017 Stanley Cup (6/25/17)
Team Odds

Washington Capitals 11/2
Los Angeles Kings 6/1
Pittsburgh Penguins 7/1
Chicago Blackhawks 15/2
Dallas Stars 15/2
Minnesota Wild 15/1
Montreal Canadiens 15/1
New York Rangers 15/1
St Louis Blues 15/1
Tampa Bay Lightning 15/1
San Jose Sharks 18/1
Anaheim Ducks 20/1
New York Islanders 20/1
Boston Bruins 22/1
Detroit Red Wings 22/1
Florida Panthers 25/1
Nashville Predators 25/1
Ottawa Senators 60/1
Arizona Coyotes 70/1
Calgary Flames 75/1
Colorado Avalanche 75/1
Edmonton Oilers 75/1
New Jersey Devils 75/1
Winnipeg Jets 75/1
Vancouver Canucks 85/1
Columbus Blue Jackets 100/1
Philadelphia Flyers 100/1
Toronto Maple Leafs 100/1
Buffalo Sabres 200/1
Carolina Hurricanes 200/1


Odds to win 2017 Eastern Conference (6/10/17)
Team Odds

Washington Capitals 11/4
Pittsburgh Penguins 13/4
Montreal Canadiens 13/2
New York Rangers 13/2
Tampa Bay Lightning 13/2
New York Islanders 8/1
Boston Bruins 10/1
Detroit Red Wings 10/1
Florida Panthers 12/1
Ottawa Senators 20/1
New Jersey Devils 35/1
Philadelphia Flyers 40/1
Columbus Blue Jackets 50/1
Toronto Maple Leafs 50/1
Buffalo Sabres 100/1
Carolina Hurricanes 100/1


Odds to win 2017 Western Conference (6/10/17)
Team Odds

Los Angeles Kings 5/2
Chicago Blackhawks 7/2
Dallas Stars 7/2
Minnesota Wild 7/1
St Louis Blues 7/1
San Jose Sharks 8/1
Anaheim Ducks 9/1
Nashville Predators 12/1
Arizona Coyotes 35/1
Calgary Flames 35/1
Colorado Avalanche 35/1
Edmonton Oilers 35/1
Winnipeg Jets 35/1
Vancouver Canucks 40/1


How To Bet NHL Futures

The “Odds to Win” wager in pro football is also commonly referred to as a future wager. Bettors must correctly select a team to win an event that takes place a later time. The money wagered will be tied up until there is an outcome and bettors will receive fixed odds when they place the wager. The future odds are normally updated on a weekly basis and wagers can be placed throughout the season.

To figure out your Win Amount, take the odds and multiply by the amount wagered. Ex. Boston Bruins (10/1) to win the NHL Stanley Cup Finals. The Bruins are listed as a 10/1 betting choice to win the Stanley Cup Finals. If you wager $100 on Boston to win the Stanley Cup Finals and it captures the championship, then you would win $1,000 (10 ÷ 1 x 100). You would collect $1,100, which includes your win and stake ($100).

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

2016-17 Point Totals

The Westgate Las Vegas Superbook released future odds for the upcoming NHL season for total points and division odds. The Stanley Cup champion Penguins begin their title defense with a point total of 102.5, while sitting as an 8/5 favorite (Bet $100 to win $160) to win the Metropolitan Division.

Washington is expected to record the most points in the NHL once again after posting a whooping 120 points last season. However, the Capitals fell short of a Stanley Cup title by losing to Pittsburgh in the second round of the playoffs. Washington's point total sits at 106.5, while Tampa Bay (who lost to Pittsburgh in the Eastern Conference Finals) owns the second-highest point total at 105.5.

Below is the list of all 30 teams' total points and division title odds according to the Westgate Las Vegas Superbook.

2016-17 NHL Total Points

Anaheim Ducks 99.5
Arizona Coyotes 77.5
Boston Bruins 91.5
Buffalo Sabres 86.5
Calgary Flames 87.5
Carolina Hurricanes 78.5
Chicago Blackhawks 102.5
Colorado Avalanche 87.5
Columbus Blue Jackets 85.5
Dallas Stars 104.5
Detroit Red Wings 89.5
Edmonton Oilers 88.5
Florida Panthers 98.5
Los Angeles Kings 98.5
Minnesota Wild 93.5
Montreal Canadiens 99.5
Nashville Predators 98.5
New Jersey Devils 83.5
New York Islanders 93.5
New York Rangers 94.5
Ottawa Senators 81.5
Philadelphia Flyers 90.5
Pittsburgh Penguins 102.5
San Jose Sharks 100.5
St. Louis Blues 100.5
Tampa Bay Lightning 105.5
Toronto Maple Leafs 80.5
Vancouver Canucks 75.5
Washington Capitals 106.5
Winnipeg Jets 84.5

Division Odds

Atlantic Division
Tampa Bay Lightning 3/2
Montreal Canadiens 9/4
Florida Panthers 3/1
Boston Bruins 12/1
Detroit Red Wings 15/1
Buffalo Sabres 20/1
Toronto Maple Leafs 40/1
Ottawa Senators 50/1

Metropolitan Division
Washington Capitals 7/5
Pittsburgh Penguins 8/5
New York Rangers 7/1
New York Islanders 7/1
Philadelphia Flyers 12/1
Columbus Blue Jackets 35/1
New Jersey Devils 40/1
Carolina Hurricanes 100/1

Central Division
Dallas Stars 9/5
Chicago Blackhawks 5/2
Nashville Predators 7/2
St. Louis Blues 7/2
Minnesota Wild 20/1
Colorado Avalanche 30/1
Winnipeg Jets 50/1

Pacific Division
Anaheim Ducks 9/4
Los Angeles Kings 9/4
San Jose Sharks 9/4
Edmonton Oilers 7/1
Calgary Flames 8/1
Arizona Coyotes 60/1
Vancouver Canucks 80/1

Odds subject to change

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

2016-17 Season Predictions

The 2016-17 NHL season begins this week and we asked our stable of handicappers to provide their fearless predictions on who will meet in the Stanley Cup next June, plus they provided their Best Bet Point Total opinions. Those betting odds could be found at the Westgate LVH SuperBook.


NHL Season Predictions
Handicapper Eastern Conference Western Conference Stanley Cup Best Bet - Point Total

Bill Marzano Washington Capitals Chicago Blackhawks Washington Capitals Tampa Bay Lightning Under 105 ½

Bruce Marshall Washington Capitals Nashville Predators Washington Capitals St. Louis Blues Under 100 ½

Gary Bart Tampa Bay Lightning Dallas Stars Tampa Bay Lightning Nashville Predators Under 97

Joe Williams Montreal Canadiens Chicago Blackhawks Chicago Blackhawks Edmonton Oilers Over 88 ½

Kevin Rogers Washington Capitals Anaheim Ducks Anaheim Ducks Winnipeg Jets Under 85

Scott Rickenbach Tampa Bay Lightning Chicago Blackhawks Tampa Bay Lightning Philadelphia Flyers Over 90 ½

Stephen Nover Washington Capitals Chicago Blackhawks Chicago Blackhawks Nashville Predators Over 97

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Central Division Outlook
By Scott Rickenbach

2016-17 Division Odds
Dallas Stars 9/5
Chicago Blackhawks 5/2
Nashville Predators 7/2
St. Louis Blues 7/2
Minnesota Wild 20/1
Colorado Avalanche 30/1
Winnipeg Jets 50/1

2016-17 Point Totals
Dallas Stars 103
Chicago Blackhawks 102.5
St. Louis Blues 100.5
Nashville Predators 97
Minnesota Wild 93.5
Colorado Avalanche 87.5
Winnipeg Jets 85

Odds per Las Vegas Westgate SuperBook - Subject to Change

Chicago Blackhawks: This is a hungry team this season as the 'Hawks were uncharacteristically knocked out of the playoffs in the first round by the Blues last spring. This gave Chicago’s players some extra time to heal up over the summer and they are refreshed and rejuvenated mentally and physically for the new season. This is in stark contrast to the prior three seasons when the Blackhawks were coming off of deep playoff runs. The problem for Chicago is they lost Andrew Ladd and Teuvo Teravainen in the off-season. However, the Blackhawks did re-acquire a key blue-liner as Brian Campbell (a member of the 2010 Cup-winning team) is back with the Hawks. Chicago was one of the top teams on the power play (22.6%) last season but they finished 22nd on the penalty kill with an 80.3% mark. If the Blackhawks improve on the kill and top goalie Corey Crawford stays healthy, Chicago could be in line to make another long post-season run this season!

Colorado Avalanche: The huge news came out of Denver at a tough time as head coach Patrick Roy stepped down on Aug. 11. That didn’t leave the Avs a lot of time but I expect the hiring of Jared Bednar to prove to be a good one in the long run. Bednar, last season, was the head coach of Lake Erie (now Cleveland) of the American Hockey League and led them to the Calder Cup championship. Bednar wants the Avalanche to play an up-tempo game and utilize the speed of their forwards up-front. Guys like Matt Duchene and Nathan MacKinnon should be in for big seasons under Bednar. Also, Mikko Rantanen is a young right winger from Finland whom played with the Avs AHL affiliate (San Antonio) last season and whom I, as a resident of the San Antonio area, personally witnessed his domination at the AHL level. He’s ready to step up for Colorado and where I see the value with this team will likely be opportunities with taking the over. The goaltending is a question mark with the inconsistency of Semyon Varlamov and Reto Berra is now with the Panthers. That leaves Calvin Pickard (San Antonio last season) as the back-up. With coach Bednar wanting to push the pace and with defense and goal-tending continuing to be an issue in Colorado, look for high-scoring Avalanche games to be a frequent occurrence this season.

Dallas Stars: The Stars are starting to put it together in Dallas as evidenced by their 50-23-9 mark in the regular season. The problem in Big D continues to be the lack of a “Big D” as the blue-line is the concern. While Dallas did add Dan Hamhuis, the question relating to the depth of the defense is the lack of experience as they are bringing in good size but youth with guys like Stephen Johns and Esa Lindell. There could be a scoring drop-off for Dallas too. Of course the only way to go is down for a Stars team that was #1 with 3.23 goals per game last season. However, the reason for concern is that point production from the blue line (other than John Klingberg) is truly a question mark because of the changes in D-men for Dallas coming into this season. With goalies Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi, there is still concern that the Stars will make another run but aren’t ready to make it all the way to a Stanley Cup final unless a change is made at goalie. Lehtonen and Niemi combined to rank 19th for GAA and 23rd for save percentage last season and the Stars net-minding is continuing to hold this team back.

Minnesota Wild: After hitting the 100 point mark two seasons ago, the Wild really dropped off last season as they fell to 87 points. Minnesota had one of the worst penalty kills in the league (77.9%). Also, the Wild were hurt badly by a 1-9 mark in overtime games. The ones that made it to a shootout were okay (3-2) but losing 9 of 10 that were decided in the OT period really hurt Minnesota. Of course the hiring of Bruce Boudreau (8 division titles between Washington and Anaheim) as the new Wild head coach will pay dividends eventually but this hockey club will have to rebuild. There is a ton of pressure on General Manager Chuck Fletcher as he is in his 8th season with Minnesota but they’ve only won a playoff series twice in his seven seasons and they’ve never advanced past the 2nd round. The pressure could be felt early because I expect it will take some time for Boudreau to get his high-octane aggressive system properly rolled out with the Wild. Minnesota is known for being a defense-first hockey club and there will be an adjustment phase here. Fading the Wild early and then riding them later in the season will be an option worth keeping an eye on here.

Nashville Predators: The Preds won only 2 of 14 games decided in overtime last season. The point is that they certainly could have finished much higher than the #7 spot in the Western Conference. The Predators are building with youth and speed. They are getting away from the defense-first style that was common in Nashville not that long ago. With a solid #1 goalie, Pekka Rinne, between the pipes the Predators can continue to push the pace on offense as they know they have him supporting them in their own end. The concern for the Preds is that they don’t have a whole lot of size on defense. Yes they are mobile D-men and, overall, they are speedy and the acquisition of P.K. Subban for Shea Weber was a big one but do they have enough size? This could have a negative impact on the Predators penalty kill and also could be an issue against very physical teams. Overall, Nashville is solid and I look for an uptick in offensive production this season but I would recommend being leery of match-up issues based on the above.

St. Louis Blues: The Blues have dropped only a couple of points in the standings each of the last two seasons but this season a bigger drop would not be a surprise. Certainly a post-season berth is still expected but one of the strengths of the Blues has been their special teams. Last season St Louis was ranked 6th on the power play and 3rd on the penalty kill. However, they lost a couple of key special teams performers on the ice as David Backes and Troy Brouwer have departed. The bigger losses though might be in the area of coaching. A couple of key staff-members (Brad Shaw and Kirk Muller) are no longer with the Blues. Shaw led the penalty kill but he is now with the Blue Jackets and Muller led the power play but he is back with the Canadiens. Also, Mike Yeo has already been brought in as a “coach in waiting” as this is Ken Hitchcock’s final year as an NHL head coach. All the transitional issues at the coaching level make for a transitional season with the Blues in my opinion and that means a bit of a regression. I will look for opportunities to go against them especially with the departure of goalie Brian Elliott as Jake Allen will be in his first season as the undisputed #1 netminder here in St Louis.

Winnipeg Jets: Youth movement is still on at Winnipeg and, of course, the rabid hockey fans in Canada are hungry for a winner. The regression last season after making the playoffs the prior season was tough on the fans in Manitoba but, even with the emphasis on youth, there is a solid chance the Jets are back in the playoffs in April. The key will be the goaltending. Ondrej Pavelec is in a contract year and that could bring out the best in him plus he could be pushed by the other available net-minders as Michael Hutchinson and Connor Hellebuyck will make sure Pavelec is at his best. Hellebuyck had a huge first half last season but then couldn’t sustain it. Hutchison is currently slated in the #2 spot and went 21-10-5 for the Jets in the 2014-15 season. Of course, the Jets must clean up special teams (30th on power play and 25th on penalty kill) and this will be the area to watch early this season as it could be telling as to the direction the Jets season is going to be headed.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Central Division Outlook
By Scott Rickenbach

2016-17 Division Odds
Dallas Stars 9/5
Chicago Blackhawks 5/2
Nashville Predators 7/2
St. Louis Blues 7/2
Minnesota Wild 20/1
Colorado Avalanche 30/1
Winnipeg Jets 50/1

2016-17 Point Totals
Dallas Stars 103
Chicago Blackhawks 102.5
St. Louis Blues 100.5
Nashville Predators 97
Minnesota Wild 93.5
Colorado Avalanche 87.5
Winnipeg Jets 85

Odds per Las Vegas Westgate SuperBook - Subject to Change

Chicago Blackhawks: This is a hungry team this season as the 'Hawks were uncharacteristically knocked out of the playoffs in the first round by the Blues last spring. This gave Chicago’s players some extra time to heal up over the summer and they are refreshed and rejuvenated mentally and physically for the new season. This is in stark contrast to the prior three seasons when the Blackhawks were coming off of deep playoff runs. The problem for Chicago is they lost Andrew Ladd and Teuvo Teravainen in the off-season. However, the Blackhawks did re-acquire a key blue-liner as Brian Campbell (a member of the 2010 Cup-winning team) is back with the Hawks. Chicago was one of the top teams on the power play (22.6%) last season but they finished 22nd on the penalty kill with an 80.3% mark. If the Blackhawks improve on the kill and top goalie Corey Crawford stays healthy, Chicago could be in line to make another long post-season run this season!

Colorado Avalanche: The huge news came out of Denver at a tough time as head coach Patrick Roy stepped down on Aug. 11. That didn’t leave the Avs a lot of time but I expect the hiring of Jared Bednar to prove to be a good one in the long run. Bednar, last season, was the head coach of Lake Erie (now Cleveland) of the American Hockey League and led them to the Calder Cup championship. Bednar wants the Avalanche to play an up-tempo game and utilize the speed of their forwards up-front. Guys like Matt Duchene and Nathan MacKinnon should be in for big seasons under Bednar. Also, Mikko Rantanen is a young right winger from Finland whom played with the Avs AHL affiliate (San Antonio) last season and whom I, as a resident of the San Antonio area, personally witnessed his domination at the AHL level. He’s ready to step up for Colorado and where I see the value with this team will likely be opportunities with taking the over. The goaltending is a question mark with the inconsistency of Semyon Varlamov and Reto Berra is now with the Panthers. That leaves Calvin Pickard (San Antonio last season) as the back-up. With coach Bednar wanting to push the pace and with defense and goal-tending continuing to be an issue in Colorado, look for high-scoring Avalanche games to be a frequent occurrence this season.

Dallas Stars: The Stars are starting to put it together in Dallas as evidenced by their 50-23-9 mark in the regular season. The problem in Big D continues to be the lack of a “Big D” as the blue-line is the concern. While Dallas did add Dan Hamhuis, the question relating to the depth of the defense is the lack of experience as they are bringing in good size but youth with guys like Stephen Johns and Esa Lindell. There could be a scoring drop-off for Dallas too. Of course the only way to go is down for a Stars team that was #1 with 3.23 goals per game last season. However, the reason for concern is that point production from the blue line (other than John Klingberg) is truly a question mark because of the changes in D-men for Dallas coming into this season. With goalies Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi, there is still concern that the Stars will make another run but aren’t ready to make it all the way to a Stanley Cup final unless a change is made at goalie. Lehtonen and Niemi combined to rank 19th for GAA and 23rd for save percentage last season and the Stars net-minding is continuing to hold this team back.

Minnesota Wild: After hitting the 100 point mark two seasons ago, the Wild really dropped off last season as they fell to 87 points. Minnesota had one of the worst penalty kills in the league (77.9%). Also, the Wild were hurt badly by a 1-9 mark in overtime games. The ones that made it to a shootout were okay (3-2) but losing 9 of 10 that were decided in the OT period really hurt Minnesota. Of course the hiring of Bruce Boudreau (8 division titles between Washington and Anaheim) as the new Wild head coach will pay dividends eventually but this hockey club will have to rebuild. There is a ton of pressure on General Manager Chuck Fletcher as he is in his 8th season with Minnesota but they’ve only won a playoff series twice in his seven seasons and they’ve never advanced past the 2nd round. The pressure could be felt early because I expect it will take some time for Boudreau to get his high-octane aggressive system properly rolled out with the Wild. Minnesota is known for being a defense-first hockey club and there will be an adjustment phase here. Fading the Wild early and then riding them later in the season will be an option worth keeping an eye on here.

Nashville Predators: The Preds won only 2 of 14 games decided in overtime last season. The point is that they certainly could have finished much higher than the #7 spot in the Western Conference. The Predators are building with youth and speed. They are getting away from the defense-first style that was common in Nashville not that long ago. With a solid #1 goalie, Pekka Rinne, between the pipes the Predators can continue to push the pace on offense as they know they have him supporting them in their own end. The concern for the Preds is that they don’t have a whole lot of size on defense. Yes they are mobile D-men and, overall, they are speedy and the acquisition of P.K. Subban for Shea Weber was a big one but do they have enough size? This could have a negative impact on the Predators penalty kill and also could be an issue against very physical teams. Overall, Nashville is solid and I look for an uptick in offensive production this season but I would recommend being leery of match-up issues based on the above.

St. Louis Blues: The Blues have dropped only a couple of points in the standings each of the last two seasons but this season a bigger drop would not be a surprise. Certainly a post-season berth is still expected but one of the strengths of the Blues has been their special teams. Last season St Louis was ranked 6th on the power play and 3rd on the penalty kill. However, they lost a couple of key special teams performers on the ice as David Backes and Troy Brouwer have departed. The bigger losses though might be in the area of coaching. A couple of key staff-members (Brad Shaw and Kirk Muller) are no longer with the Blues. Shaw led the penalty kill but he is now with the Blue Jackets and Muller led the power play but he is back with the Canadiens. Also, Mike Yeo has already been brought in as a “coach in waiting” as this is Ken Hitchcock’s final year as an NHL head coach. All the transitional issues at the coaching level make for a transitional season with the Blues in my opinion and that means a bit of a regression. I will look for opportunities to go against them especially with the departure of goalie Brian Elliott as Jake Allen will be in his first season as the undisputed #1 netminder here in St Louis.

Winnipeg Jets: Youth movement is still on at Winnipeg and, of course, the rabid hockey fans in Canada are hungry for a winner. The regression last season after making the playoffs the prior season was tough on the fans in Manitoba but, even with the emphasis on youth, there is a solid chance the Jets are back in the playoffs in April. The key will be the goaltending. Ondrej Pavelec is in a contract year and that could bring out the best in him plus he could be pushed by the other available net-minders as Michael Hutchinson and Connor Hellebuyck will make sure Pavelec is at his best. Hellebuyck had a huge first half last season but then couldn’t sustain it. Hutchison is currently slated in the #2 spot and went 21-10-5 for the Jets in the 2014-15 season. Of course, the Jets must clean up special teams (30th on power play and 25th on penalty kill) and this will be the area to watch early this season as it could be telling as to the direction the Jets season is going to be headed.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Three live long shots to win the 2017 Stanley Cup
By ROB HANSEN

Before NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman even handed the trophy to Sidney Crosby, and the rest of his 2016 Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins teammates, the sportsbooks in Las Vegas had already released futures odds to win the 2017 championship.

The Penguins held some decent value for futures bettors during the 2015-16 season. They were listed by Westgate LV Superbook at 12/1 on opening night back in October, you could have taken the Pens at a whopping 25/1 during All-Star Weekend in January, and they were the hottest team in the league entering the playoffs in April and were only available at 8/1.

Since none of us have a DeLorean equipped with a flux capacitor and a sports almanac from the future, we have to rely on smart forecasting and analysis in order to find true value in the futures market.

Let it be noted that the NHL has not completed their entry draft (June 24th and 25th) and we have not entered the free agency period (July 1st). While, to some, it may seem crazy to make futures picks prior to these key off-season dates, the savy sports bettor will look for value before the lines move in an unfavorable direction.

So, let's take a look at three current long shots that could make a splash in 2017.

Montreal Canadiens (14/1, 7/1 to win East)

The expectations were high for the Canadiens heading into the 2015-16 season, especially since they won the Atlantic division the previous year with an impressive 110 points, but their hopes were derailed on November 25th when goaltender Carey Price was lost for the season with a knee injury. In most cases, one player doesn't make all of the difference, but Price is the best goalie in the world and simply having him back between the pipes makes the Habs contenders in 2016-17.

Something to keep in mind is that although the Canadiens missed the playoffs, they were 10-2 in games started by Carey Price this past season.

The Habs will need to address a pair of key issues during free agency in order to lift Lord Stanley's mug - and cash in on those 14/1 futures. They are going to need a top 6 scorer (if the Tampa Bay Lightning let Steven Stamkos get to free agency the Habs will be major players) and they will need to add more size and grit for a lengthy playoff run.


St. Louis Blues (14/1, 7/1 to win West)

You will be forgiven if you have to do a double-take on this one. The St. Louis Blues at 14/1? Is this the same Blues who qualified for the 2016 playoffs as the No. 3 seed in the West? Is this the same Blues who came within two wins of this year's Stanley Cup final?

The Blues are one of the toughest teams to play against in the entire National Hockey League. They are built for the playoffs with good goaltending, hard-nosed character players, and a great defensive core.

The Blues will have some tough financial decisions to make in the off-season in regards to Troy Brouwer and David Backes. Once they decide which one of those two players they are keeping for next season, they will need to decide on a true number one goaltender (likely Jake Allen) and swap the other guy for some secondary scoring and speed.

The St. Louis Blues are tough, tough, tough. But they will need to score more in 2016-17 in order to pay off at 14/1.


New York Rangers (25/1, 12/1 to win East)

The 2015-16 playoffs did not go the way the New York Rangers had hoped. Matthew Murray took over in goal for the Pittsburgh Penguins and delivered the Rangers a quick first round exit.

We should not forget that the Rangers are a team that put up 101 points during the regular season and had the fourth most points in the Eastern conference in 2015-16.

The Rangers annually have one of the most talented rosters in the NHL but never seem to put it all together when it matters most. Goaltender Henrik Lundqvist is now 34-years-old so their window of opportunity could quickly be closing (top 5 goalies are not easy to find). In order for the Rangers to make a deep run in 2016-17 they will have to re-sign offensive defenseman Keith Yandle; trim some fat with guys like Dan Girardi, Marc Staal, and Tanner Glass; use some freed up cap space to land a top-4 defensive-minded defenseman; and bring 2013 draft pick Pavel Buchnevich over from Russia before they lose him forever.


Other notable long shots to consider:

New York Islanders (30/1)
Detroit Red Wings (40/1)
Edmonton Oilers (30/1) Hey, it's bound to happen eventually.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Blues (0-0) at Blackhawks (0-0)

Date: October 12, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

CHICAGO -- The St. Louis Blues knocked the Chicago Blackhawks out of the playoffs last season with a one-goal victory in Game 7 of the Western Conference quarterfinals.

Now, the Blues are back in Chicago to open the season against their division rivals.

"Starting off against St. Louis, it's a good reminder for us to not forget what we went through and how we went down in Game 7," Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews said. "They'll be hungry, too. Obviously, both teams want to prove themselves again.

"There's obviously a long way to go before we get back to playoff hockey again, but nonetheless, these games are always going to be important."

And intense.

In last year's seven-game playoff series, six games were decided by a single goal. The same held true for three of the teams' five meetings during the regular season. Both teams topped 100 points during the regular season, but neither achieved their ultimate goal as Chicago was bounced in the first round of the playoffs and the San Jose Sharks eliminated the Blues in the conference finals.

This time around, some familiar faces will not be present for the rivalry. Former Blues captain David Backes signed a free-agent deal with the Boston Bruins, and St. Louis promoted defenseman Alex Pietrangelo to wear the "C" on his sweater.

Meanwhile, Blues goaltender Jake Allen will assume a clear-cut No. 1 role in net after the team shipped goaltender Brian Elliott to the Calgary Flames.

Allen went 26-15-3 with a 2.35 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage in 47 games during the 2015-16 campaign. He exited the Blues' final preseason game because of an apparent injury but said he felt fine heading into the season opener.

"A couple days off was nice just to get back to 100 percent and ready to go," Allen told NHL.com. "I knew in the back of my mind that I should be good to go on Wednesday. It was just doing the proper steps to be ready."

Blues coach Ken Hitchcock decided to return for a final season behind the bench. His successor already has been named: former Minnesota Wild coach Mike Yeo, who will serve as Hitchcock's assistant this season before taking over next season.

The Blackhawks said goodbye to several key contributors during the offseason, including feisty forward Andrew Shaw (traded to Montreal) and young playmaker Teuvo Teravainen (traded to Carolina). Top-six forward Andrew Ladd left as a free agent to sign with the New York Islanders.

Veteran defenseman Brian Campbell, who won a Stanley Cup championship with the Blackhawks in 2010, is back with the Blackhawks on a one-year deal. He will provide depth and experience on the blue line, which also will feature newcomer Michael Kempny.

Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville is notorious for changing his line combinations at a moment's notice, but look for Toews to anchor the team's top line to start the season. He will be joined by Richard Panik on the left wing and Marian Hossa on the right wing.

The second line contains even more firepower as left winger Artemi Panarin and right winger Patrick Kane will try to replicate last season's dominance alongside center Artem Anisimov.

Goaltender Corey Crawford is back in net for Chicago and is expected to start against the Blues.

St. Louis likely will counter with left winger Robby Fabbri, center Paul Stastny and right winger Alexander Steen on its top scoring line. Next will be the combination of left winger David Perron, center Jori Lehtera and right winger Vladimir Tarasenko.

Toews said he and his teammates embraced the challenge of facing St. Louis in the season's first game.

"We might as well get right into it," Toews said. "We know there's going to be tough games all year."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Flames (0-0) at Oilers (0-0)

Date: October 12, 2016 10:00 PM EDT

EDMONTON, Alberta -- The Edmonton Oilers have a brand new state-of-the-art arena, but it doesn't feel like home just yet.

The Oilers played four preseason games at the new, 18,500-seat Rogers Place. But it's not enough time to get used to a new ice surface, new boards and all of the idiosyncrasies of a new arena that give a team its home-ice advantage.

The brand new arena is part of a $614 million downtown revitalization project that also includes a community arena, a Winter Garden common area and transit corridor.

The opponent for Wednesday's home opener will be the Oilers' fiercest rival, the Calgary Flames. Both teams missed the playoffs in 2015-16 -- in fact, the Oilers haven't been to the playoffs since they lost to Carolina in the 2006 Stanley Cup final.

"For the Battle of Alberta to get back to what it was, you need the teams to get back in the playoffs," Flames defenseman Mark Giordano said. "I think both teams are optimistic with their young players. Obviously, it'll be exciting. That first one is going to be a fun one, we get to go into a new building and they'll be excited."

The one advantage for the visiting Flames -- and any team that travels to Edmonton in the first couple of months of the regular season -- is that Rogers Place still feels new to the home team.

"I think we're starting to get it figured out," Oilers goalie Cam Talbot said. "I think everyone knows that there will be some bounces here that aren't going to be favorable, sometimes off the boards the puck comes off pretty quick. The ice gets pretty bad near the end of the period and the puck is just bouncing everywhere."

So, while the new arena has luxury suites, a loge level where food is brought right to the fans' tables, and a home dressing room that looks like the ready room of the Enterprise, the one negative is the choppy ice.

Remember that the Oilers' old arena, Rexall Place, was consistently hailed for having the fastest, smoothest ice in the NHL. So, there might be an adjustment period for offensive stars like 2015 No. 1 overall draft pick Connor McDavid and his projected first-line mates, Jordan Eberle and Milan Lucic.

According to Talbot, the Oilers will need to adjust to a surface where simple passes can hop over sticks and lead to turnovers.

"You just have to take it into account that the ice is going to be bad and make the simple plays," he said.

Oilers center Leon Draisaitl agreed.

"It'll take a little while, for sure," Draisaitl said. "We were in the other rink for so long, so it will take a little while to make this our home. But we're really on a good way here, we're on the right track. I can just feel it will be a great home for us."

But the Oilers can look to the New York Islanders, who moved to the Barclays Center last year and sported an excellent 25-11-5 home record. Growing pains can be overcome.

Roster news came fast and furious during the day before the season opener.

The Oilers signed defenseman Eric Gryba to a two-way deal. Center Anton Lander, who scored just once in 61 games for the Oilers last season, was placed on waivers this week. Left winger Matt Hendricks and right winger Iiro Pakarinen will start the season on injured reserve.

The Flames came to terms Monday with left winger Johnny Gaudreau (30 goals, 48 assists last season) on a new, six-year, $40.5 million contract. Calgary waived Brandon Bollig, the left winger who scored twice in 54 games the previous season.

The Flames also sent right winger Linden Vey, who played 41 games for the Vancouver Canucks last season, down to its American Hockey League affiliate in Stockton, Calif.

Kris Versteeg, who spent the preseason with the Oilers on a tryout basis, could play in Wednesday's game -- as a member of the Flames. The veteran right winger signed a one-year deal with Calgary immediately after deciding not to sign with Edmonton. Oilers coach Todd McLellan said the club offered Versteeg a deal, but the winger turned it down.

The Flames also added defenseman Nicklas Grossmann, who played 58 games for the Arizona Coyotes in 2006-07.

Earlier in the week, the Oilers signed defenseman Kris Russell, who played 198 career regular-season games for the Flames between 2013-16.

"There's no friends on the ice," Flames center Matt Stajan was quoted as saying on the team's website. "We wish him well. But come Wednesday, we're enemies."

After the teams face each other in the opener, they head to Calgary for Friday's rematch.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Pacific Division Outlook
By Scott Rickenbach

2016-17 Division Odds
Anaheim Ducks 9/4
Los Angeles Kings 9/4
San Jose Sharks 9/4
Edmonton Oilers 7/1
Calgary Flames 8/1
Arizona Coyotes 60/1
Vancouver Canucks 80/1

2016-17 Point Totals
San Jose Sharks 100.5
Anaheim Ducks 99.5
Los Angeles Kings 98.5
Calgary Flames 88.5
Edmonton Oilers 88.5
Arizona Coyotes 78
Vancouver Canucks 76.5

Odds per Las Vegas Westgate SuperBook - Subject to Change

Anaheim Ducks – Is any team hungrier than the Ducks? After another successful regular season but another frustrating playoff exit, Anaheim sent bench boss Bruce Boudreau packing. In an interesting move, the Ducks re-hired Randy Carlyle who was their coach until the fall of 2011 when he was fired and replace by Boudreau! Carlyle is known as a very demanding head coach but Anaheim has a number of players who have experience with him from his prior time with the Ducks and also even from time he spent coaching the Canucks AHL team. With some aging veterans Anaheim knows the window is closing on their chance to chase the Cup. The Ducks were #1 in the league last season on the power play, penalty kill, and overall defense with just 2.29 goals allowed per game. Watch early for how the Ducks respond to Carlyle. I look for the Ducks to have a big season and they could get off to a quick start depending on how quickly they adjust to having Carlyle back behind the bench.

Arizona Coyotes – Surprisingly the Coyotes won 22 home games last season despite having some of the worst attendance in the league. This team really needs moved to Quebec in my opinion. However, the fact is they’re still in Arizona for at least another season and be careful playing against them at home as they are known for upsets there. Fade the Coyotes when the line value is there on the road as they only won 13 road games last season. Only one team, Edmonton, had less road wins with 12. Upper management changes have taken place with John Chayka replacing Don Maloney as General Manager and Dave Tippett now adding VP of hockey operations to his duties. Mike Smith in goal, when on, is solid but missed a lot of time last season. The Coyotes allowed nearly 3 goals per game - ranking among the worst in the league. Their penalty kill was also among the worst in the league last season. This team is likely to continue to struggle and look for opportunities to grab the “over” if goalie Smith is struggling or the nights he is out. The Coyotes are targeting improvement on their blue line (through acquisitions and the draft) but it is still a work in progress, especially early this season as the blue line needs time to gel.

Calgary Flames – The Flames regressed badly last season so it’s no surprise they made a coaching change as the head man is now Glen Gulutzan and Bob Hartley is out. Not only does the fresh leadership help at the top for a Calgary team that accumulated 97 points two seasons ago, they also should bounce back from last season’s disappointment (77 points) as they made huge changes in goal. Brian Elliott (came over from St Louis) is the new #1 and Chad Johnson (off solid season in Buffalo) is the new #2. This is going to help turn this team around as last season they were worst in the league with a 3.13 GAA but Elliott had a 2.07 GAA and Johnson a 2.36 GAA. The Flames did average 2.79 goals per game last season which was good enough to rank 10th in the league so, the fact is, if they get better goal-tending and have better team chemistry under Gulutzan they are in for a bounce back season and might even make it to the post-season this spring. I am forecasting the Flames to definitely be “right there” come mid-April.

Edmonton Oilers – The Oilers are on the uptick with moves made by GM Peter Chiarelli and certainly are excited about moving into a new downtown arena. Of course having arguably the best young talent in the game (Connor McDavid) plus having signed Milan Lucic in the off-season gives Edmonton a boost heading into the new season. It also helps that Todd McLellan is now in his second season with the Oilers as head coach. The Oilers already showed some improvement last season (went from 62 points to 70 points) but should show even bigger improvement as the Oilers have continued to show progress in the way they are rebuilding. The weakness is still the defense but they have plenty of firepower on offense and they also received good goal-tending from Cam Talbot once he settled in last season. Don’t underestimate the addition of Adam Larsson too as the blue-liner will help on the penalty kill. The Oilers power play has firepower and they just need to execute better but the pieces are coming together and special teams play is so critical to success in the NHL. The Oilers are heading in the right direction and should be a “play on” team in the new season.

Los Angeles Kings – The Kings aren’t projected by many to drop off much this season but I feel this team is heading downward quicker than many expect. Remember they recently won two Stanley Cup titles in three seasons but, since then, they’ve won only one playoff game the past two seasons! Will they even make the playoffs this season? The problem is they spent so much money in prior seasons that they have salary cap limitations now holding them back. Of course Jonathan Quick is fantastic between the pipes but he’s not getting any younger and he’s been a workhorse. If he wears down or gets hurt then the fact that former back-up Martin Jones departed in the Milan Lucic trade (2015, Lucic now with Edmonton) could look even uglier than it already did. LA is now relying on Jeff Zatkoff as their #2 goalie. It will be interesting to see if Anze Kopitar taking over as captain (from Dustin Brown) helps spark this team. The offense is all about puck possession under Darryl Sutter but they still don’t score enough goals. This takes away from a strong defense as Los Angeles is consistently in the Top Ten for GAA. Look for a continued drop-off in LA as San Jose and Anaheim remain strong in the division and Edmonton and Calgary are on the way up.

San Jose Sharks – After losing to the Penguins in the Stanley Cup Finals last season, the Sharks saw a few areas to work on. They are a big team that bullied their way through the Western Conference but Pittsburgh’s speed got to them in the Finals. The response for San Jose was the acquisition of David Schlemko and Mikkel Boedker to add some speed on the blue line and up front. The Sharks also struggled on the penalty kill (the power play is their strength in special teams) but they are hopeful a 2nd season under Peter DeBoer helps bring continuity there. Also, Chris Tierney (center who led team in ice time on penalty kill) will now be entering his third season with San Jose. The concern for the Sharks is that when head coach DeBoer stepped in and had success with Florida and New Jersey in his first season as the head coach his teams then regressed in future seasons. Will this be a repeat in San Jose? The Sharks have too much talent to regress too far but I do expect some drop-off this season after the huge playoff run last season. The Ducks could take the division this season and other divisional foes like the Oilers and Flames will provide tougher competition this season too. Look for a drop-off for the Sharks and if Martin Jones gets hurt or drops off at all in level of production, the drop could be even quicker. This is still a very strong team but I do not expect this team to have the same regular season success or post-season success that we saw last season. Look for spots to fade them particularly at home where they only won 18 of 41 games in the regular season last year. They were much stronger on the road – 28 wins in 41 games to lead the NHL.

Vancouver Canucks – The Canucks could end up being the worst team in the NHL this season. They were one of the worst last season and unfortunately (for Vancouver fans) it looks like another tough season is on tap. It was a surprisingly quick drop for the Canucks last season but it was no fluke. Vancouver dropped from 101 points to 75 points and more struggles are on tap for this season. Keep in mind this is a Canucks team that scored 50 less goals last season in comparison with the prior season. Yes they added a big goal scorer in Loui Eriksson (was with Bruins) in free agency but one man won’t player won’t solve all that has impacted this team. The Sedin twins will form a formidable first line with Eriksson but they are now 36 and Henrik’s campaign was impacted by injuries last season. Simply put, they are not getting any younger. The 2nd line features players who had “career years” last season so will there be a repeat? Unlikely, and after that there is a big drop-off in terms of production from this offense. The loss of right winger Radim Vrbata also hurts the Canucks offense. The defense of the Canucks has some good size but this team allowed 2.91 goals per game last season and they blue line didn’t provide much offense either. Only 23 goals from the defensemen last season and that ranked near the bottom of the league. The Canucks still have solid goaltending with Ryan Miller and back-up Jacob Markstrom but the trouble is they face way too many shots because of the poor play in front of them. The Canucks not only lost Vrbata and defenseman Dan Hamhuis but they also got nothing for those two players. The point is that the roster needs more rebuild before the Canucks are likely to be in the running for a playoff spot again. Vancouver only won 15 home games last season and that was worst in the Western Conference. More of the same is likely on tap for this season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Kings (0-0) at Sharks (0-0)

Date: October 12, 2016 10:30 PM EDT

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- The Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks renew their territorial and recent playoff rivalry Wednesday to open the 2016-17 NHL season.

For the Sharks, it's the first step in defense of their first Western Conference title while the Kings hope to spoil the home opener against the team that ended their season during a five-game first-round playoff series last spring.

"We're going to have a little bit of a target on our back, especially in the Western Conference having won it last year," San Jose coach Peter DeBoer said. "And we're going to get everyone's best game."

San Jose hopes to start off on the right foot at the Shark Tank where the team was only 18-20-3 last season. And the only game Los Angeles won in the playoffs last season came in San Jose.

"We were really exposed in the playoffs," Kings general manager Dean Lombardi told NHL.com. "I also think we had some mental issues in terms of having dealt with success, and a good punch in the nose like we got in the playoffs hopefully woke us all up."

The game will mark the San Jose debut of two newcomers -- left winger Mikkel Boedker and defenseman David Schlemko, who each signed four-year contracts on the first day of free agency. Boedker joins center Logan Couture and right winger Joonas Donskoi on the team's second forward line while Schlemko will partner with Brenden Dillon to give the Sharks a mobile defense.

"It's impressive what we were able to do this summer -- keep everyone, add a couple key pieces -- I think that's good for chemistry," Sharks defenseman Justin Braun said.

For the record, San Jose did have three departures, all of whom were not part of their long-term plans. Forward Nick Spaling, defenseman Roman Polak and goalie James Reimer, all acquired at the trade deadline, moved on while 38-year-old Dainius Zubrus contemplates retirement.

Conversely, the Sharks have a number of young players knocking on the door to give the franchise the best depth it's enjoyed in its 26th season. Twenty-year-old Timo Meier, the ninth pick in 2015, looked to crack the deep group of forwards until he was diagnosed with mononucleosis late last month. He must avoid contact for approximately three more weeks, and will start his pro career with the San Jose Barracuda of the American Hockey League.

In addition, Swedish winger Marcus Sorensen, 24, was a free-agent signing in the offseason, and he'll start in the minors, too, despite showing flashes of skill and speed in the preseason.

For now, Tomas Hertl will return to left wing alongside top-liners Joe Thornton and captain Joe Pavelski. Chris Tierney will center Patrick Marleau and Joel Ward on a third line and it some combination of Tommy Wingels, Matt Nieto, Melker Karlsson and Micheal Haley will comprise a fourth group.

Marc-Edouard Vlasic and Braun form San Jose's top shutdown pair on defense while veteran Paul Martin returns to support the creativity of partner Brent Burns, a Norris Trophy finalists with a franchise blue line record 27 goals and 75 points last season.

"You need quality players who are willing to accept roles in the depth of your lineup, and take pride in those roles," DeBoer said. "The one team that was deeper than us was the team that beat us -- Pittsburgh."

The Kings will feature a new look on their top line, the result of departure, suspension and injury. Newly anointed captain Anze Kopitar will center stripped captain Dustin Brown and Devin Setoguchi, who survived a tryout invite to camp to make the team and resurrect a career that got sidetracked due to substance abuse.

"I'm excited for him," Kings coach Darryl Sutter told the team's website of the one-time Shark. "I like to see guys like that bounce back. ... For me, it was no different evaluating him than it was players that we needed to be better than they were last year."

Los Angeles is without scoring winger Marian Gaborik, who sustained a broken foot during the World Cup of Hockey tournament. Forward Tanner Pearson is suspended for the first two regular-season games for a preseason infraction, and winger Milan Lucic left the team via free agency.

The Kings figure to line up Teddy Purcell-Jeff Carter-Tyler Toffoli, Dwight King-Nic Dowd-Trevor Lewis and Kyle Clifford-Andy Andreoff-Jordan Nolan up front with Jake Muzzin-Drew Doughty, Brayden McNabb-Alec Martinez, Derek Forbort-Matt Greene as the defense pairs.

Jonathan Quick will tend the Los Angeles net with former King Martin Jones in goal for San Jose.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Maple Leafs (0-0) at Senators (0-0)

Date: October 12, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

OTTAWA -- A provincial rivalry entering its 25th season, The Battle of Ontario will feature, for the first time, an Anderson vs. Andersen goaltending showdown when the NHL season opens Wednesday night at Canadian Tire Centre.

Starting for the Ottawa Senators will be Craig Anderson, who faced more shots than any goaltender other than the New York Rangers Henrik Lundqvist in 2016-17 and who, in his first game as a Senator on Feb. 19, 2011, made 47 saves in a 1-0 victory over Toronto at Air Canada Centre.

Making his debut for the Maple Leafs will be Frederik Andersen, who was acquired in a trade with the Anaheim Ducks last June and is now being counted on to give Toronto the consistent puck stopping it has lacked for years.

Both goalies hope to lead their respective teams back to the playoffs, which have been held without Ottawa for two of the last three years and without Toronto for all but one spring since 2004.

"That's my goal, to get back there," Frederik Andersen, who played in 28 playoff games for the Ducks over the last three springs, told the Toronto Sun on Tuesday. "From past experience, I know it takes a lot of work. Last year (the Ducks) had a tough start and realized you just don't get there automatically, no matter how good your team is. We have to get that winning culture (in Toronto). It's a good feeling to have when you don't settle for less."

Pumping fresh oxygen into Toronto's hopes is center Auston Matthews, the No. 1 overall pick in last spring's NHL draft. Another highly touted prospect making his debut with the youthful Maple Leafs will be winger Mitch Marner, while coach Mike Babcock begins his second season with the team.

"I just feel there is a little more structure, a little less confusion and everyone knows what to expect," Maple Leafs center Nazem Kadri told the Toronto Sun. "There was more of a feeling out process last year with guys coming up and down and having a new staff. Now we're moving forward toward that end goal."

Making his debut behind the Senators bench will be new coach Guy Boucher, who held a demanding training camp focused on shoring up the defensive.

The biggest offseason acquisition for the Senators was center Derick Brassard, who will work regularly between wingers Bobby Ryan and Zack Smith and is expected to bolster an Ottawa power play that ranked 26th last season while operating at a league worst 11.4 percent success rate at home.

"I hope we have a better power play," said Senators captain and power play quarterback Erik Karlsson. "We haven't started the year yet but we're very optimistic it's going to be better. Hopefully we can get off to a good start."

Also in his first year on the job is Senators GM Pierre Dorion, who stated on Tuesday that he won't be a patient man.

"We've said right from the get-go, we feel we're a playoff team," said Dorion. "We hope we can surprise people once we get in the playoffs. We're ready to go."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Point Totals - Best Bets

NHL Futures – Regular Season Points Best Bets

The 2016-17 NHL season is set to begin on Wednesday and that means that it's time to take a look at some future options.

While the biggest of those futures will be on teams to win it all, it's the regular season point totals that have me excited as there a couple of great betting options all hockey bettors should consider.

Regular Season Points Futures

Best Bet #1: Chicago Blackhawks Under 102.5 Points (-125)

When you have two of the three highest paid players in the league on your team and allocating $13 million plus to both of them, chances are depth could be an issue for you, especially if one of those key guys misses significant time with injuries.

That's the scenario for the always cash-strapped Chicago Blackhawks this year as Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews are definitely two of the better players in the league, but their presence really limits Chicago's overall depth.

Last year the 'Hawks finished with 103 points and didn't have to really address any of those concerns, but with other division rivals around them likely to be as good or better (Dallas, St Louis, Winnipeg, Nashville), I don't believe we will see Chicago hit the century mark in 16-17.

What furthers this case is the idea that Chicago's championship window might actually be on the decline now that many of their core depth guys have moved on.

Chicago will go as far as Kane, Toews, Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook and goalie Corey Crawford will take them, but after that things really start to thin out and should any one of those five guys get bit by the injury bug, Chicago could end up finding themselves on the outside of the playoff picture by season's end.

The perception of the Blackhawks is that they are still an elite team in this league and that's why this number is as high as it is, but this should be the year that we finally see all of Chicago's exodus moves finally come back to bite them.


Best Bet #2: Detroit Red Wings Under 89.5 Points (-115)

Detroit is another team that could be in for a rather large decline this year as the post Pavel Datsyuk era begins in the Motor City and it could be an uncharacteristically rough one for the organization.

They've already started the much needed youth movement in recent years with guys like Dylan Larkin and Gustav Nyquist, but losing Datsyuk creates a big void at the top of their depth chart and until all of that youth truly reaches their potential, the Wings will struggle.

What Detroit does have going for them is the fact that they play in the Atlantic Division and will get some easier wins against the likes of Toronto and Buffalo, but those organizations are also on the uptick while Detroit is currently going the other way.

With G Petr Mrazek unlikely to post the stellar numbers he did a year ago, 90 points is a bit of a stretch for a Wings team that is clearly in a transitional phase and will very likely see their 25-year streak of being a playoff team snapped this season.