A pair of all-Canadian clashes open the NHL regular-season schedule on Wednesday, starting in Toronto, where the Maple Leafs play host to the Montreal Canadiens as -225 favourites on the NHL odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Toronto returns to action amid a wave of optimism following the club’s off-season signing of free agent forward John Tavares, and sits as a +700 favourite on the Stanley Cup odds entering Wednesday night’s matchup at Scotiabank Arena.
The Maple Leafs set franchise records for most wins and most points last season. Conversely, the Canadiens open the season in Toronto as +180 underdogs, and face tempered expectations following an off-season of change that came on the heels of a dismal 28th-place finish on the NHL standings.
Gone via trade are captain Max Pacioretty and forward Alex Galchenyuk, who racked up a combined six 30-goal seasons during their time in Montreal, while injuries to newly anointed captain Shea Weber and David Schlemko leave the squad with a depleted rearguard corps entering the regular season.
Not surprisingly, the Canadiens are set as +350 underdogs to make the playoffs at the sportsbooks, and trail Toronto as a distant +400 bet on the Atlantic Division odds. Montreal also rides a four-game losing streak against the Maple Leafs, scoring just five total goals during that stretch, according to the OddsShark NHL Database.
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Later on Wednesday night, the Calgary Flames look to begin their march back to playoff contention as they visit the rebuilding Vancouver Canucks as -130 betting favourites.
A late-season collapse left the Flames outside the playoff picture last spring for the second time in three years. However, the club kept busy revamping their roster this summer, most notably with the signing of James Neal, and a blockbuster deal that saw defenceman Dougie Hamilton go to Carolina in exchange for rearguard Noah Hanifin and winger Elias Lindholm.
The moves have had a positive impact on Calgary’s odds to make the playoffs, which are listed at -145. However, the Flames sit back of the favourites on the Pacific Division futures, joining the Anaheim Ducks and the Los Angeles Kings as a +550 wager on those lines.
The Canucks will feature a youthful look as they open the campaign as +110 underdogs on Wednesday night. With the retirement of the Sedin twins, opportunity knocks for talented youngsters like Elias Pettersson and Nikolay Goldobin. However, Vancouver opens the season near the bottom of the Stanley Cup odds at a distant +10000.