The sportsbooks are primed for another season of professional hockey now that the NHL season has officially begun. One team that critics and fans alike are excited to watch compete this season is the Boston Bruins. Last season, the Bruins finished with a 42-31-9 record which ranked them 4th in the Atlantic Division. While it was a slight improvement from the previous year, Boston failed to qualify for the playoffs for the second consecutive year.
However, after a solid offseason, the Bruins showed a lot of promise in their 2016-17 debut by overcoming the Columbus Blue Jackets 6-3. Will the Bruins be able to continue their early success in their game against the Winnipeg Jets?
The Boston Bruins will be traveling to Manitoba to take on the Winnipeg Jets on Monday, October 17th. The puck will hit the ice at 8:00 pm EST. Both teams will be coming in on one day’s rest after playing their respective games on Saturday. So, from what we’ve seen this offseason, which team is most worth your bet on NHL money lines?
This offseason the Bruins lost more than their fair share of talent. Loui Eriksson was one of the most coveted free agents this offseason and he ended up signing with the Dallas Stars. Boston also lost another talented winger in Brett Connolly, who will now be suiting up for the Washington Capitals. Chris Kelly, who played both center and left wing, also left the Bruins to sign with the Ottawa Senators.
Boston also lost Dennis Seidenberg, defenseman, and Landon Ferraro, center, who will be playing for the New York Islanders and the St. Louis Blues respectively. With so many losses you’d think the sportsbooks wouldn’t favor the Bruins, bot Boston also raked in plenty of talent this offseason.
David Backes, one of this past offseason’s most desired centers, signed with Boston. Dominic Moore, center, and Riley Nash, who plays both center and right wing, followed Backes lead and decided to sign with Boston this past offseason. But are these additions enough to favor the Bruins over the Jets?
Unlike the Bruins the Jets actually qualified for last year’s postseason after going 42-26-13 during the regular season. Unfortunately, Winnipeg didn’t make it too far and got swept in the Wild Card round by the Anaheim Ducks. Although the Jet were hoping for a quick and easy offseason, that hasn’t been the case. Jacob Trouta is currently sitting at home after asking for the team to trade him. It’s not a pretty situation for the franchise, and Trouta is not an easy player to replace.
But either way, fans are hopeful that Patrik Laine, the Jets No. 2 overall pick back in June, will be able to step up and help carry this team to success. Kyle Connor, a 19-year old star, has been impressive during the preseason and fans and bettors alike are excited to see what the youngster is capable of. The sportsbooks don’t think too much of Winnipeg, but if they’re able to develop their young talent, then there will be no stopping the Jets.