Don Deal: A player valued at over $600 million is welcomed by the New Jersey Devils.
Even with a less-than-exciting class of free agents, there were “still” over 150 signings worth more than $600 million in total contract dollars. Notable names still on the board include Patrick Kane and Vladimir Tarasenko.
As usual, some were heralded as fantastic offers, while others were seen as potentially catastrophic. However, it has altered the NHL landscape, and as of July 2, 2023, BetMGM has updated their Cup odds for the 2024 winner.
With the highest handle percentage (22.8 percent) and ticket percentage (16.9 percent), the Avalanche continues to be the clear favorites at +800.
The Devils, who trail the Knights (9.5 percent) in both ticket percentage (7.2 percent) and handle percentage (18.0 percent), are quickly gaining traction as a favorite.
The teams listed below, with their current odds first and the opening odds second, are those whose lines have changed since the Stanley Cup final was announced. Please use common sense when playing.
Fantastic job by Tom Fitzgerald in re-signing Timo Meier, Jesper Bratt, and Erik Haula to extremely manageable long-term deals, guaranteeing the Devils’ continued competitiveness.
Fitzgerald was the first captain of the Predators under then-coach Barry Trotz, who is now the general manager, and Poile was the one who hired Trotz and had been the franchise’s first and only general manager.
It was a great gesture and worth the bump alone on karma when Fitzgerald traded the Devils’ final pick (218th overall) to the Preds so David Poile could make one final pick before retiring.
Here, the wager is that the Devils will keep getting better with Meier’s assistance for a full season. With 8.3 percent implied odds, this is a team that is trending upward. They are the second-best Eastern team odds (+1000), so if you’re buying into the hype, you should be buying them right now as well.
