Murphy: Bruins Are Worth Some Future NHL Bets

Are the Boston Bruins worth jumping on for some NHL betting futures?

After losing their longtime 1-2 center combo of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci to retirement, the Boston Bruins are one of the biggest question marks – on the ice and in NHL betting circles – heading into the 2022-23 NHL regular season. Despite a record-setting 2022-23 regular season, many expect the Bruins to dip in the standings as training camp approaches. Not only did the Bruins lose a six-time Selke winner in Bergeron and one of the most clutch playoff performers in team history in Krejci, but they lost winger Taylor Hall via a trade, and Tyler Bertuzzi, Dmitry Orlov, Garnet Hathaway, Nick Foligno, Tomas Nosek, and Connor Clifton via unrestricted free agency due to salary cap restraints.

However, as FOBHN (friend of Boston Hockey Now) and Sportsnet NHL Insider Jeff Marek pointed out in the most recent 32 Thoughts Podcast, the Boston Bruins – as they did last season – always find a way to be better than expected.

“Look, you’re not gonna come back as the same team. You lose Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci, you’re not coming back to being close to the same you were,” Marek told co-host Elliotte Friedman. “I’m just not prepared to write off the Boston Bruins like some people are and say this is awful; if a team like Detroit, Buffalo, or Ottawa are jumping up, that’s the team that falls. They always figure it out.

Photo Credit: Image by Tolulope from Usabonus.com.

I know it’s tough. Charlie Coyle and Pavel Zacha are your 1-2 centers. And you wonder what happens to other players who played with, most specifically Bergeron, and what happens to their production now that Bergeron and Krejci are gone.” Marek pointed out. “But there’s still so much talent there – that blue line, those goalies, David Pastrnak – there’s still a ton of talent.”

Yes, as Marek pointed out, there’s a significant drop up the middle with Pavel Zacha and Charlie Coyle slotted to be in the 1-2 slots up the middle for the Boston Bruins, but with plenty of talent on the wings with David Pastrnak, Brad Marchand, and Jake DeBrusk on the wings, the Bruins could be worth an NHL betting future.

Per the DraftKings Sportsbook, the Bruins are currently +1600 to win the Stanley Cup; +850  to win the Eastern Conference, +1600 to win the Presidents’ Trophy, and +380 to win the Atlantic Division. That is some fantastic value for a team, that if their opponents read the clippings and listen to the noise, the defending Presidents’ Trophy winners could sneak up on.