After playing a key role in the Montreal Canadiens' march to the Stanley Cup Final during his NHL debut last season, Cole Caufield is set among the early betting favourites at +200 on the Calder Trophy odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
The reigning Hobey Baker Award winner picked up five points in 10 regular-season games last year, then took his game to the next level during the postseason with four goals and eight assists in 20 appearances as the Canadiens advanced to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 1993.
Caufield is one of three players from Canadian NHL teams that are currently listed on the Calder Trophy odds at online sports betting sites. Vancouver Canucks forward Vasily Podkolzin sits just shy of the favourites as a +750 wager, while Toronto Maple Leafs winger Nick Robertson trails further down the board at +1600 odds.
Selected by the Canucks with the 10th overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, Podkolzin enjoyed a breakthrough in his second KHL campaign last season, tallying 11 points in 35 regular season games with St. Petersburg and adding 11 points in 16 playoff contests. However, Podkolzin could struggle to see ice time on Vancouver's top two lines following the Canucks' offseason acquisition of winger Conor Garland.
Establishing himself as a regular could also be a challenge for Robertson. The 19-year-old American spent most of last season with the AHL Toronto Marlies, where he recorded 16 points in 21 games. The former second-round pick has work to do to steal playing time from veterans like Nick Ritchie and Pierre Engvall. However, Robertson has demonstrated his scoring ability, netting 55 goals in just 46 games during his final season of junior hockey with the OHL Peterborough Petes.
Anaheim's Trevor Zegras currently leads the way on the Calder Trophy betting lines, sitting just ahead of Caufield as a even-money favourite on those NHL odds. Detroit's Lucas Raymond trails the leaders at +300 odds, just ahead of Colorado's Alex Newhook at +400 odds, while defenseman Moritz Seider of the Red Wings sits off the pace as an +1000 wager.
Zegras recorded 13 points in 24 games with Anaheim last year, and could challenge for the role as the Ducks' No. 1 centre. Selected fourth overall by the Red Wings in the 2020 NHL Draft, Raymond is set to make his NHL debut after spending the past two seasons in the Swedish Hockey League. Newhook aims to take the next step as a pro after two sensational seasons at Boston College, while Seider looks to make the leap from Sweden to the NHL after earning SHL Best Defenceman honours last season.
