Four Nations Injuries and Betting Odds Change

The Boston Bruins won’t be sending holiday cards to the Minnesota Wild medical team after Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy spent the night in a Boston hospital after an upper-body injury suffered with Team USA at the Four Nations Face-Off became infected. Yet that wasn’t the worst injury suffered at the tournament.

Minnesota provided Team USA’s medical staff.

Florida Panthers stalwart Matthew Tkachuk also suffered a serious injury while playing for Team USA that will keep him out of the Florida lineup for weeks, though no official determination has been made as of Monday.

According to FanDuel, the latest odds posted for bettors in Las Vegas and online, the Bruins’ odds are up to +5000. Of course, the Bruins have a battle just to make the postseason dance. It’s been a surprisingly tight battle not only with the Detroit Red Wings but also with the spunky Columbus Blue Jackets, Montreal Canadiens, and Ottawa Senators.

The injuries could undoubtedly impact the race for Stanley Cup Playoff berths and the ultimate winner.

It’s also affecting betting odds, too.

And the New York Rangers are lurking. If New York can ever pull it together with newly acquired J.T. Miller, they might be the biggest threat not only to claim a wild card spot but also to do some damage in the playoffs.

Currently, the Bruins are one point outside of a wild-card spot, trailing Ottawa, which has one game in hand.

The odds on Florida haven’t shifted too much yet, but that’s because there hasn’t been an official proclamation regarding Tkachuck’s status. The closest we’ve received was Monday when Florida coach Paul Maurice told a radio show that we would see Tkachuk play again this season.

That’s as much as we’ve got. Of course, Florida could borrow a page from the Tampa Bay Lightning and bury Tkachuk on long-term injured reserve until the playoffs, using the created salary cap space to acquire a top-shelf defenseman or winger.

The Vegas Golden Knights also used the Tampa Bay LTIR play to bury Mark Stone until the playoffs during their 2023 Stanley Cup run, too.

Florida’s Cup odds have slipped slightly to +900, which is behind other powerhouses, the Edmonton Oilers (+600), Carolina Hurricanes (+700), and Dallas Stars (+900).

For our money, we wouldn’t touch the top two teams because of spotty goaltending issues. However, Dallas seems like a solid contender without any great weaknesses.

Should the Bruins slip into the Eastern Conference playoffs, they would most likely flip into the Metro Divison bracket to face the Washington Capitals, who are currently 12 points better than the would-be second seed, Toronto Maple Leafs.

Given Washington’s roster turnover and lack of playoff experience, they also might be more beatable than most top seeds. Also … don’t forget the Presidents’ Trophy curse, which Washington very well might lug into the postseason like a cinder block chained to their ankle.

Only the Winnipeg Jets, on the strength of a 10-game winning streak, are ahead of Washington, but only by one point.