Wright Favoured Over Slafkovsky In Odds To Win Calder

Once again, the NHL betting oddsmakers have made Shane Wright an early favourite over Juraj Slafkovsky. This time, it’s for the 2023 Calder Trophy.

Despite dropping to fourth overall at the 2022 NHL Entry Draft this past July in Montreal, some NHL Betting odds have the Seattle Kraken rookie favoured over Slafkovsky, whom the Montreal Canadiens chose over him and drafted first overall at the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. While neither is the odds-on NHL betting favourite to win the rookie of the year award, Wright stands at +850 and Slafkovsky is currently at +1000.

Mason MacTavish and Owen Power are currently the co-favourites at +400 to win the Calder Trophy.

This isn’t the first time Wright has been favoured over Slafkovsky as the former was the NHL betting favourite to be drafted first overall until literally within hours prior to the first round of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft on July 7 at the Bell Centre. As the time wound down to the Canadiens being on the clock for the first pick overall though, the NHL betting odds flipped, and Slafkovsky was favoured over Wright to go first overall in the draft. That’s exactly what happened as Canadiens general manager stepped to the podium and mic for his first time as Canadiens general manager and called Slafkovsky’s name, stunning many in the Bell Centre crowd.

Juraj Slafkovsky began to sway NHL amateur scouts and NHL Draft insiders with a MVP performance at the winter games. The big Slovak lit the lamp seven times in seven games in Beijing. He then followed that up with three goals and six assists at the 2022 World Championships. Slafkovsky, who hails from Kosice, Slovakia, had five goals and five assists in 31 games for Liiga in the Finnish Elite League.

What may have been even more stunning than the Montreal Canadiens selecting Slafkovsky was that Shane Wright fell to the Seattle Kraken as the fourth overall pick at the Draft. In between him and Slafkovsky, the New Jersey Devils surprised everyone and took Simon Nemc second overall. As expected though, the Arizona Coyotes got their guy, Logan Cooley, at third overall.

Can Slafkovsky defy the NHL betting odds once again and finish higher than Wright in Calder Trophy voting next spring?

Here’s the rest of the 2023 Calder Trophy Odds courtesy of BoDog sports: