Depending on how many games they lost to pandemic postponements, most NHL teams are right around the midway point in their seasons. Which means we have a good sample of games to project postseason success, both in the standings and in the awards categories.
If you're shopping for some postseason longshots, here are some options.
Odds courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook unless otherwise noted.
Hart Trophy: Igor Shesterkin, New York Rangers (+4000)
It takes an exceptional year for a goalie to win the Hart Trophy for league MVP. Shesterkin leads the NHL with a .936 save percentage and is a tremendous 19-4-2 in 25 starts. That's a better save percentage than Carey Price had in 2015 when he won both the Vezina and the Hart in the same season. Shesterkin actually has he second lowest odds for the Vezina (+450) behind Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Jack Campbell (+350), even though 16.7% of the tickets purchased at BetMGM were for Shesterkin.
What could hold him back for MVP honors? Workload. Price played 66 games when he won the Hart. Shesterkin could play every game left for the Rangers and not hit that benchmark. But if there isn't a clear-cut choice among the forwards - Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Alex Ovechkin, Auston Matthews - and the Rangers challenge for the division title, perhaps Shesterkin finds enough votes to win at long odds.