The Oddsmakers Don't Have Matvei Michkov Even Remotely in Contention for the Calder Trophy

Matvei Michkov is on a really nice run – nine points in his last five games, including a pair of multi-goal performances following John Tortorella’s firing. He’s now on 56 points for his rookie season and has made up zero ground in the Calder race, which looks like this on Monday afternoon:

DraftKings: Lane Hutson (-260), Macklin Celebrini (+250), Michkov (+1000)
FanDuel: Hutson (-380), Celebrini (+320), Michkov (+1800)
BetMGM: Hutson (-325), Celebrini (+250), Michkov (+900)

Dustin Wolf fourth across the board, Michkov third at all of the sportsbooks, not even close to Hutson and Celebrini despite all three being pretty close in points. Hutson has 59, Michkov 56, and Celebrini 53. Hutson has played about 400 more minutes than the other two and is out there for 22 minutes a night.

A lot of the point total deliberation comes down to the power play. Hutson has five goals and 54 assists for the Canadiens and one of those goals and 24 of those assists have come with a man advantage. Michkov has seven power play goals and eight power play assists. If the Flyers’ weren’t totally feckless on the PP, Michkov would be a legitimate Calder threat with what, 7-8 more points? That’s a key component to all of this.

Hutson, though – great player at a completely different position. It’s an apples-to-oranges thing comparing a defenseman to a forward, but naturally Hutson racks up a lot of secondary assists. He’s a really good playmaker and of course he’s probably not getting the last touch before a goalscorer. He’s having a rookie season that paces out among the all time greats, guys like Brian Leetch, etc. He will likely finish top 10 in rookie assists, maybe higher. Montreal is fighting for a playoff spot right now, one year removed from being one of the league’s worst teams. He’s played a significant role in that and his huge Calder lead is understandable.

Barring some Habs meltdown, or Michkov/Celebrini heater, Hutson will win it. But it’s a little disappointing to see Michkov as far back as he is, considering his recent run and the overall statistical output. If you believe in miracles, sprinkle a couple of units and see what happens. Or save your money and use it on NJ online casino instead. Better yet, maybe get started with a PA casino sign up bonus.