2022-2023 NHL Norris Trophy Winner Best Bet: Back The Favorite
Cole Makar should be even more of a favorite to win
Matthew Horner - Jan 19, 2023, 4:32pm EST
2022-2023 Norris Trophy Winner Best Bet
We are right in the middle of the 2022-2023 NHL season, and with the All-Star break coming up before we know it, there will be plenty of people looking to enter the futures market at the halfway point. There is almost always value on the board, it's just about finding where that value lies and getting the best number possible on a team or player that can improve on that number.
Today, we have a player that should be favored by far more than he currently is, so the best time to grab him is now.
As always, BetQL is going to bring you odds and value for all major sports all throughout the year, so keep an eye out for our value articles for some great prices on future bets!
Cale Makar +210 at DraftKings
It's hard to believe, but Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar is still not making you lay juice to win the Norris Trophy this season. At most books, he's hovering around the 2/1 range to win the award, which is still the favorite, but I think he should be favored by much more than this.
Makar is by far and away the most skilled defender in the NHL, and he is only 24 years of age. His playmaking ability for the position he plays is really extraordinary, and only a handful of players have been able to be as versatile as he is. Roman Josi was the last guy who had this type of skill as a defenseman, but he has gotten up there in age now and isn't the same player he used to be.
Makar is listed on the injury report quite often, even right now, as he is listed as "day-to-day" with an injury designation. He will probably play, but it has been clear that he isn't 100%. Even still, we are talking about a defenseman that has 43 points not even halfway through the season. Makar has scored 13 goals and has recorded 30 assists already this season. The roster around him hasn't exactly been healthy either, with Nathan MacKinnon missing a chunk of time, but he's back now. A full-strength Avalanche team is one of the most dangerous squads in hockey, and Makar will have that full arsenal to work with over the second half of the season.
There are a few guys who could contend with him, such as Rasmus Dahlin and Erik Karlsson, but I think the voters will find any excuse in the book to give it to Makar as long as he is near the top of the rankings. They would love a back-to-back winner for the award for the first time since Niklas Lidstrom won it three times in a row from 2006-2008. Lidstrom was so dominant in the 2000s that he won the award six times that decade. Makar certainly has the potential to do just that, and is probably the best defensive prospect we have seen in the NHL in the last 20+ years.
