Hockey Betting
Here we go. After 78 days of being dark, many Las Vegas casinos re-opened on June 4th. Sportsbook bettors saw NBA and NHL postseason odds featured on a slim betting menu.
Hockey is not quite back yet. Amid the coronavirus pandemic, there is no promise that games will resume. However, when NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman declared an abrupt end of the regular season, he also laid out a framework for the Stanley Cup playoffs. The NHL is now on a path to return by late July or early August.
That was enough for many hockey bettors to try it out.
“It was good to see Bettman do it, and it gives us the ability to put up something definitive that you can bet.”
Westgate SuperBook oddsmaker Jeff Sherman.
The hastened end to the regular season left some ambiguity about division winners and player props. Many books paid off wagers for the NHL’s division leaders while refunding bets on teams that were in second place in the division standings. Other books no-actioned bets and returned funds to customers. Player props were paid or no-actioned on a case to case basis.
Next Season Start
With all the focus on the current season, few have given much thought to what happens next year. Last month, on the NHL Network, Bettman said that the 2020-21 season could begin in November or as late as December. Since then, not much has changed.
“There’s no magic for next season of starting in October as we traditionally do. If we have to (begin) in November or December, that’s something that will be under consideration.”
Back in April, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic hinted that the league would look to play a full 82-game season. Given the late start, that would likely mean a very condensed schedule with a late June or early July finish. What happens to the All-Star Game or the two outdoor games currently scheduled remains to be determined.
Jack Eichel’s Future
Jack Eichel was pacing towards his best season as a professional when the 2019-20 NHL season abruptly ended. Another disappointing season that saw the Buffalo Sabres miss the playoffs. Buffalo won just 30 games and was one of seven teams not included in the expanded playoffs.
Selected by the Buffalo Sabres with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2015 draft, Eichel has been vocal about his frustrations in the last two weeks. John Wawrow of the Associated Press reported that Eichel is “fed up with losing,” causing many to speculate he may ask for or even demand a trade.
While there is no indication Eichel is on the trading block, the 23-year-old pivot is on track to be a generational talent and would fetch a considerable return. Only the six other non-playoff teams can make trades until after the playoffs. While it’s unlikely, could the Ottawa Senators package one or both their two top draft picks with some players and make a play for the center?
Dan Rosen thinks that Buffalo will listen to offers, but he doesn’t see a trade happening.
“I know they feel Eichel is a huge part of the solution, but it doesn’t cost anything to hear what other teams feel he’s worth to them. In the end, I fully expect Eichel to be back with the Sabres.”
Dan Rosen, NHL Network