NHL Odds: How Markets Price Blue Jackets After Johnny Gaudreau Signing
The market views the Blue Jackets as long shots for postseason success
The Blue Jackets acquired arguably the biggest name in NHL free agency in Johnny Gaudreau on Wednesday, but will the left wing be enough to put Columbus over the top?
Gaudreau’s now former team, the Calgary Flames, made efforts Tuesday to retain the six-time All-Star, but the 28-year-old decided to test the market. Blue Jackets general manager and alternate governor Jarmo Kekalainen announced Gaudreau signed a seven-year, $68.25 million contract ($9.75 million AAV) with their franchise.
Gaudreau has had a prolific career dating back to his days in Boston College, where he helped the Eagles win a national title in his freshman year. However, in “Johnny Hockey’s” nine years with the Flames, they have only reached as far as the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
But the Blue Jackets will hope their big signing can help them win a playoff series — Columbus has only won one playoff series since joining the league in 2000. And the betting markets have a similar attitude toward the Blue Jackets’ playoff hopes. Here are the Stanley Cup prices for the Blue Jackets across various sportsbooks:
DraftKings: +7500
FanDuel: +7500
BetMGM: +10000
Caesars: +7500
PointsBet: +7000
FoxBet: +8000
Bet365: +6600
These odds are in the bottom ten of Stanley Cup favorites. BetMGM has the longest odds, and a $100 bet there on the Blue Jackets to win the title would pay out $10,100.
FanDuel Sportsbook (+3700), BetMGM (+5000) and Caesars (+4000) offer Eastern Conference futures, where, again, Columbus are long shots to win the Eastern Conference, and a $100 bet on the best odds, BetMGM, would pay out $5100.
Blue Jackets fans are and should be excited by the addition of Gaudreau, but they’ll need a lot more if they want to make noise in the postseason.
