How Bookmakers Responded To David Pastrnak’s Hot Bruins Start
Pastrnak is also an outside contender for the Hart Trophy
David Pastrnak has thrived in Jim Montgomery's fast-paced system, and it has him on a good trajectory atop the NHL leaderboards.
Left wing Taylor Hall noted the 2022-23 Bruins are the fastest team he's ever played with, and the new style of play for Boston has earned it a 5-1 record after the first six games of the season.
Pastrnak leads the Black and Gold with four goals and six assists, and those stats put the right wing among the top five in the NHL in those categories.
This has led bookmakers at DraftKings Sportsbook to price up Pastrnak's odds to be the league's top goal scorer. The 26-year-old now commands 14-to-1 odds, putting him in the top five. This means a $100 bet would pay out $1,500. Below are how the rest of the top five shakes up:
Auston Matthews +250
Connor McDavid +425
Leon Draisaitl +1000
Alex Ovechkin +1200
Steven Stamkos +1400
Kirill Kaprizov +1400
David Pastrnak +1400
As you can see, Pastrnak's odds are tied with Tampa Bay Lightning center Stamkos and Minnesota Wild left wing Kaprizov. The former is the current leader in goals with seven heading into Monday's slate of games, and Colorado Avalanche's Valeri Nichushkin, Carolina Hurricanes' Andrei Svechnikov and Buffalo Sabres' Alex Tuch are behind him with six.
But the belief is still in Toronto Maple Leafs center Matthews, who has only scored one goal through six games, to eventually get hot and lead the league in goal scoring.
But if you believe Pastrnak and the Bruins can continue their pace on offense -- Boston has scored four or more goals in five of its six games -- then now would be the time to bet on the right win to lead the NHL in goals.
If you want to go even further, Pastrnak odds to win the Hart Trophy are at 30-to-1, which is tied for the eighth-shortest odds. This means a $100 bet would pay out $3,100. Edmonton Oilers center McDavid is the favorite at +200.
Pastrnak will get a chance to add to his goal total when the Bruins take on the Dallas Stars at TD Garden on Tuesday.
