Are Bruce Cassidy’s Coach Of Year Odds Too Short Given Bruins Run?

Bruce Cassidy’s 2021-22 Bruins are pretty solid proof that what happens on the ice (or the field or court) aren’t always directly tied to line movement in the betting market.

Cassidy once again has Boston in the Stanley Cup conversation, as the Black and Gold have won five straight following a 7-0 rout of the previously streaking Los Angeles Kings on Monday night. The Bruins recently moved into the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot and woke up Tuesday morning with a three-point advantage over Washington with a couple of games in hand for the East’s final playoff spot.

Cassidy’s club is 13 points clear of Columbus for a spot in the playoff field.
It would take a massive collapse for the B’s to miss the playoffs.

It certainly has been an impressive performance through the first 65% of the regular season. Boston entered the season with tempered expectations outside of its own building. The departure of Tuukka Rask and uncertain free agent signings paired with the specter of a continued youth movement gave reason for pause when it came to once again penciling the Bruins back into the postseason picture.

It hasn’t always been pretty, either, with Boston battling injuries, suspensions, cold streaks and everything in between. The Bruins also play in one of the NHL’s most top-heavy divisions. Add it all up, and it’s been one of Cassidy’s top performances since taking over behind the Boston bench. Surely, he must be in the running for the Jack Adams Award, as the NHL’s best coach, right?

Well, if we were to let the betting odds dictate that conversation, the answer is a resounding no. DraftKings Sportsbook has Cassidy currently listed as a 75-1 long shot to win the award, not long after having him at 50-1. Cassidy currently is listed behind 15 (!) other head coaches.

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Here are a few of the favorites.

Darryl Sutter +330
Gerard Gallant +450
Andrew Brunette +700
Jared Bednar +750
Rod Brind’Amour +800
Jon Cooper +800
Mike Sullivan +1000

Sutter is an all-time great, who has piloted the Flames — 45-1 to win the Stanley Cup in October — to one of the NHL’s top records. The Rangers’ rebuild is thriving under Gallant. The only Eastern Conference team better than Brunette’s Panthers are Brind’Amour’s Hurricanes, and Brunette was named coach in late October after Joel Quenneville got the boot following the Chicago Blackhawks scandal.

So, Cassidy is far from the obvious choice, but 75-1 certainly looks disrespectful when you factor in everything. Of course, the market doesn’t work that way. Rather, it reflects the money sportsbooks have taken on certain sides, and the odds are written in a way to attract more action.

Is there value on Cassidy to win the award for the second time in his career? It does seem like it would require some sort of massive change in the standings and narrative, but it’s not impossible. The Bruins almost certainly would have to get even hotter and finish the regular season on a ridiculous run. They’d also probably have to leap-frog at least one team in the Atlantic Division where they currently sit six points out of the third (and second) spot.

Even if that happens, the narratives surrounding the favorites might be too much to overcome. When it comes to voted-on awards, you’re dealing with human beings making decisions, and that’s truly unpredictable. But for some pizza money? Maybe.