- The 2021 NHL Awards were handed out on Tuesday, June 29th, 2021
- Adam Fox won the Norris Trophy despite being a heavy longshot
- Read below to see the odds movement for each winner throughout the season
The 2021 NHL Awards took place on Tuesday, June 29th, and there were some intriguing winners. Several players who took home hardware weren’t the betting favorite at sportsbooks heading into the ceremony.
New York Rangers’ blueliner Adam Fox won the Norris Trophy despite being a longshot for most of the season. Marc-Andre Fleury also edged out Andrei Vasilevskiy in one of the closest Vezina Trophy races in NHL history.
We layout the odds movement for each winner throughout the year and provide our early picks for the 2022 NHL Awards.
Hart Trophy Odds Movement
| Player | Opening Hart Trophy Odds | Midseason Hart Trophy Odds | Latest Hart Trophy Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connor McDavid | +700 | -150 | -1100 |
All odds taken from FanDuel
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McDavid Wins Hart Unanimously
In the least surprising result of the 2021 NHL Awards, Oilers’ Connor McDavid took home the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s MVP. The other two finalists were Maple Leafs’ forward Auston Matthews and Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon.
McDavid received all 100 first-place votes, making him the second unanimous Hart Trophy winner in NHL history alongside Wayne Gretzky. The value for McDavid was much earlier in the season when he opened as the second favorite at +700. Due to Matthews’ goal-scoring pace, McDavid was available at plus-money until March.
This year's winner of the Hart Memorial Trophy, the player most valuable to his team during the regular season, is Connor McDavid (@cmcdavid97)! #NHLAwards pic.twitter.com/Yw2VFT2Akl
— NHL (@NHL) June 29, 2021
McDavid offered value in the opening Hart Trophy odds because the all-Canadian division was a bit of a mystery. The phenom torched weak defensive teams like Ottawa and won the scoring race by 20-plus points. Once it got to the later stages, there was never a doubt McDavid would win.
Looking ahead to the 2021-22 NHL season, McDavid is worth jumping on early once again. Players like him are once in a generation, and you’re unlikely to find much value once the puck drops. McDavid could become the first back-to-back Hart winner since Alex Ovechkin in 2008 and 2009.
- Early 2022 Hart Trophy Pick: Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers
Vezina Trophy Odds Movement
| Player | Opening Vezina Trophy Odds | Midseason Vezina Trophy Odds | Latest Vezina Trophy Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marc-Andre Fleury | +1500 | +350 | +263 |
Fleury Edges Out Vasilevskiy
Golden Knights netminder Marc-Andre Fleury narrowly edged out Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy to win the 2021 Vezina Trophy. Fleury received 14 first-place votes and 108 points, while Vasilevskiy got 12 first-place votes and 99 points. The other finalist was Avalanche goaltender Philipp Grubauer.
Fleury was a great story as he bounced back after losing the net to Robin Lehner in the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs. This is still a tough loss for the many bettors who had money on Vasilevskiy. The Lightning netminder was the odds-on favorite (-185) heading into the NHL Awards.
Congratulations to first-time winner of the prestigious Vezina Trophy, Marc-Andre Fleury! #NHLAwards pic.twitter.com/Fw7N2Gvkea
— NHL (@NHL) June 29, 2021
Fleury was available at plus-money all season, as oddsmakers were hesitant to make him a heavy favorite with Lehner also in the picture. Fleury’s not someone you want to jump on in the 2022 Vezina Trophy odds, though, considering he struggled against Colorado in the playoffs and is 36 years of age.
There’s not much of a debate that Vasilevskiy is the best goaltender in the NHL right now. Fleury was deserving, but the advanced stats were pointing in favor of Vasi. The Russian netminder is in the prime of his career and about to win back-to-back Cups. He’s the safe bet for next season.
- Early 2022 Vezina Trophy Pick: Andrei Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay Lightning
Calder Trophy Odds Movement
| Player | Opening Calder Trophy Odds | Midseason Calder Trophy Odds | Latest Calder Trophy Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kirill Kaprizov | +400 | -160 | -900 |
Kaprizov Dominates Calder Voting
Kirill Kaprizov winning the 2021 Vezina Trophy was arguably the betting lock of the entire NHL season. The 24-year-old superstar received all but one of 99 first-place votes for top rookie. The other two finalists were Dallas forward Jason Robertson and Carolina goalie Alex Nedeljkovic.
Kaprizov’s rookie season was very resemblant to Artemi Panarin’s. Both players came over from the KHL and set the NHL on fire in year one. Kaprizov was arguably more impressive as he almost single-handedly brought Minnesota back to relevance. Minnesota made the playoffs for the first time since 2015.
The 2021 Calder Memorial Trophy goes to Kirill Kaprizov as the League's top first-year player! #NHLAwards pic.twitter.com/iQlRSFVA48
— NHL (@NHL) June 29, 2021
Kaprizov was a lock to win the Calder based on his elite skill-set, but his odds movement was interesting. He opened behind Igor Shesterkin and Alexis Lafreniere and didn’t become the odds-on favorite until March. A late push from Robertson prevented Kaprizov from truly running away with the trophy.
Turning to 2021-22, Cole Caufield is a great early pick in the 2022 Calder Trophy odds. The 20-year is an elite goal scorer who has already netted eight goals in his first 26 games with Montreal. He has the skill to score 30-40 goals in his first full season with the Habs.
- Early 2022 Calder Trophy Pick: Cole Caufield, Montreal Canadiens
Norris Trophy Odds Movement
| Player | Opening Norris Trophy Odds | Midseason Norris Trophy Odds | Latest Norris Trophy Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adam Fox | +3150 | +1800 | +570 |
Fox Surprises to Win Norris
In the biggest surprise of the 2021 NHL Awards, Rangers defenseman Adam Fox won the Norris Trophy over finalists Victor Hedman (Lightning) and Cale Makar (Avalanche). Many experts agreed Fox was the most deserving of the award, but it seemed palpable he might get snubbed in favor of a more recognizable name like Hedman.
Fox flew massively under the radar in the Norris Trophy odds and wasn’t even on the board when the odds first opened in November. The 23-year-old first appeared in the Norris odds in late December when he debuted at +3150. It took until April for the New York blueliner to even become the second betting favorite.
The James Norris Memorial Trophy goes to first-time winner, Adam Fox (@foxyclean), after a fantastic 2020-21 campaign! #NHLAwards pic.twitter.com/Uh7tDD5miD
— NHL (@NHL) June 29, 2021
Fox winning the trophy is proof that incredible value can be found in the opening NHL Awards odds. Oddsmakers never gave him much of a chance overall, but his longshot value during the early months led to a massive payday for some bettors.
Looking ahead to 2021-22, Makar is one to watch. The Avalanche pivot received just eight fewer first-place votes than Fox despite missing time due to injury. He was a top-10 finisher as a rookie in 2020 and is due to capture a Norris soon.
- Early 2022 Norris Trophy Pick: Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche
The post 2021 NHL Awards Roundup – See How Odds Moved from Open Until Winners Announced appeared first on Sports Betting Dime.
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