posted August 14, 2008 at 17:15 EST in NHL Betting Trends
NHL Southeast Division Preview with Capital Gains!
by BetUS Staff
There is perhaps no wilder division in all of hockey betting than the one in the Southeast. Unfortunately, until recently, it’s also been relatively futile in terms of strength. Think: The NL West in baseball. However, Stanley Cup runs by the Lightning and Hurricanes in the past five years have brought respect to the former laughing stock of the league.
All eyes will be on this division as some of the league’s brightest stars take flight. Eric Staal, Ilya Kovalchuk, Vincent Lecavalier, and…oh yeah, someone named Alexander Ovechkin, all make for a thrilling game regardless of the outcome. Tampa will also be home to the league’s next superstar, Steven Stamkos, who will join a resurgent ‘Bolts squad looking to dethrone the incumbent Capitals.
Let’s break the Southeast Division down for the NHL hockey betting enthusiasts of the world. Who should you put your hockey futures money on?
There’s finally something to cheer about in the Nation’s Capital outside of Barack Obama. The ‘Comeback Kids,’ as they became known, snuck into the playoffs and Atlantic Division supremacy after an uncanny late season run. The Caps could just as easily be called the Alexander Ovechkin Show however, as No. 8 accounted for 27.3 per cent of the team’s total offense with a startling 65 goals.
But, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. General Manager George McPhee didn’t do anything drastic to the squad, other than bringing in Jose Theodore to replace the departed Cristobal Huet.
Let’s call it even.
Both goaltenders provide question marks, and the team remains heavily reliant on grinding forwards and an up-tempo forecheck. However, the Capitals will have the services of top line center Michael Nylander once again, who may actually slide to the second line to provide more depth.
If anyone can win the Stanley Cup or the East out of this division, it’s Alexand…err…Washington.
The tried-and-true strategy of a veteran blueline, and defensive forwards has been absolutely blown up. Gone are the aged, stay-at-home defensemen like Glen Wesley, and in come puck-movers like Joni Pitkanen. Surprisingly, the ‘Canes led the league with 140 goals at home, with the addition of waterbug forwards like Sergei Samsonov.
However, the big question will be whether or not coach Peter Laviolette can make a winner out of an unfamiliar group of players. Our guess is that it will take a year or two of rebuilding and regrouping before Carolina will see a storm of success again. Don’t rule out a playoff berth, however.
Speaking of rebuilding, the Panthers have finally given up on Jacques Martin behind the bench. Or, rather, Jacques Martin has given up on himself as the head coach, and made a wise GM move in hiring former Kitchener Rangers mastermind Pete DeBoer. Martin has also swapped his formerly offensive-minded blueline for a more conservative one, now featuring Keith Ballard and Nick Boynton. A steady back-end is crucial, especially after the Cats surrendered the most shots of any NHL team, rudely welcoming Tomas Vokoun to town.
We’re more excited to see the development of Stephen Weiss and Nathan Horton than anything else on ice in South Florida right now. Save your money for the Rays and Marlins.
This might be the last hurrah for Ilya Kovalchuk in Atlanta, who has managed just four playoff games in his seven years in powder blue. The Thrashers simply have nothing going for them. A miserable array of forwards beyond Kovalchuk, a no-name blueline outside of Tobias Enstrom, and a goaltender too green to be carrying a team at this point—Kari Lehtonen. If you can find a futures bet on the Thrashers finishing dead last, we’d advise you to do so.
Don’t let the plethora of signings over the off season influence you into tossing money on the ‘Bolts this year. The Lightning of old won the Stanley Cup with defense and goaltending (surprise, right?), something glaringly void in the current cast. Not to mention that behind their bench will be a coach who hasn’t guided a team since he was grooming his mullet, in Barry Melrose. This will be a several year progress. Enjoy the Steven Stamkos development, however, and certainly look at a futures wager on his winning of the Calder Trophy.
