Normally, races for the major awards in the NHL go down to the wire. Sure, we may see a couple of runaway winners as we did with Igor Shesterkin (Vezina) and Cale Makar (Norris Trophy) last season, but in most seasons, these races are pretty competitive until we get deeper into the campaign.
Not so much this time around.
2023 NHL awards odds
Five of the six major awards have odds-on favorites as we head into All-Star Weekend.
Connor McDavid is -700 to win the Hart Memorial Trophy (NHL MVP) and -180 to win the Rocket Richard (most goals). Meanwhile, Linus Ullmark is -175 to win the Vezina (best goaltender), and his head coach, Jim Montgomery, is -275 to win the Jack Adams. Seattle’s Matty Beniers is the -200 favorite to win the Calder Trophy as the top rookie.
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In all honesty, McDavid should probably be even shorter than -700 to win the Hart, as he could sit out the rest of the season and still be the winner. It’s also hard to see Montgomery losing his grip on the Jack Adams Trophy after what we’ve seen out of the Bruins in the first half.
The race for the Rocket Richard looks like it will come down to McDavid (41 goals) and David Pastrnak of the Bruins (38). Still, you’d need better than +220 on Pastrnak, and the only semi-interesting number on anyone in the chasing pack is Jason Robertson at +2000, but he’s eight back of McDavid on FanDuel.
He would need to leap Pastrnak, Mikko Rantanen, and Tage Thompson, too. It is curious that Jack Hughes of the New Jersey Devils, who is tied with Robertson on 33 tallies, is priced at just +3300 on PointsBet.
2023 NHL Calder Trophy pick: Owen Power +3300 (BetMGM)
While most of these races seem to be tied up, there is one high price out there that looks enticing: Owen Power at +2000 to win the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie.
Power, who was selected No. 1 overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2021 NHL Draft, was basically a co-favorite with Beniers before the season started but saw his odds drift because his production lagged behind other rookies. But even though Power wasn’t scoring at an eye-popping clip, his game has been solid all season long.
In fact, the Sabres have been so impressed by Power that only Rasmus Dahlin averages more time on ice for Buffalo. The former Michigan Wolverine is currently playing 23:25, which is not only the most by any 2022-23 rookie by over two minutes, but it would be the most by any debutante since Tyler Myers averaged 23:44 in 2009-10.
Owen Power #25 of the Buffalo Sabres battles against John Tavares #91 of the Toronto Maple LeafsGetty Images
And the even better news is that Power is starting to produce. The 20-year-old has scored three goals in his last four games and is at 19 points for the season. That pace will still need to pick up, and he’ll need Beniers to slow down, but that isn’t out of the question.
At this point in the season, it looks pretty likely that Beniers runs away with the award, but Power is one of the few players in the race that has a realistic shot.
Thus, you could do a lot worse than backing him at +3300 on BetMGM. This is a much stronger value than most other books whose consensus line is +2000, with DraftKings as low as +1400.
Canadian-born rocker Bryan Adams, Coming to Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle.
Bryan Adams, with such colossal hits as Cuts Like a Knife, Run to You, Summer of 69, Heaven, Straight From the Heart, and Everything I Do, I Do it For You, to name just a few, is headed to the PNW this summer!
Bryan’s highly anticipated ‘So Happy It Hurts’ Tour with special guest Joan Jett & The Blackhearts hits 26 cities across the USA this Summer with stops in New York City, Boston, Tampa, Denver, Phoenix, San Francisco, and more. The tour kicks off June 6 in Baltimore and wraps August 3rd in Seattle at Climate Pledge Arena.
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The Seattle Seahawks defense was dealt a huge blow on Monday night, as All-Pro safety Jamal Adams exited the win over the Denver Broncos in the second quarter with a knee injury. The ailment looked bad, as Adams was unable to place any weight on his leg. Well, just a day after the contest, the updates on Adams are, unfortunately, not getting any better. During a radio appearance, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll spoke about Adams, dropping this worrying update on the star safety.
Pete Carroll on @SeattleSports on Jamal Adams, says he is going to need knee surgery. "Yeah he's hurt. He hurt his knee. He's going to have to get some work on that. I don't know the extent of that yet but I know it's serious.''
That does not sound good. Pete Carroll said that Jamal Adams is going to require “work”, or surgery, to repair his knee injury. The Seahawks head coach reiterated that he doesn’t yet know the extent of the injury, but that it’s “serious.”
Of course, it’s just speculation until more information is revealed, but it sounds like Adams is facing a season-ending injury. It’s a devastating development for a Seahawks defense that lacks proven options behind the Pro Bowler.
Jamal Adams sustained the injury in the second quarter of the contest vs. the Broncos after he tackled former teammate Russell Wilson. He limped off the field before being taken into the medical tent, where he was quickly ushered toward a cart and taken to the locker room.
Adams was traded from the New York Jets to the Seahawks back in July of 2020. He later signed a four-year, $70 million contract extension with Seattle last August.
In 25 career games with the Seahawks, Adams has made one Pro Bowl, tallied 173 tackles, two interceptions and 9.5 sacks. It sounds like Seattle is going to have to find a way to move forward without Jamal Adams this year.
According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Adams will be placed on injured reserve and undergo season-ending surgery to fix a torn quadriceps tendon suffered in Monday's win. Per Rapoport, the star safety is still working on figuring out when he will have surgery and who will perform the operation.
Adams left early in the second quarter after injuring his knee on a third down blitz. Coming through the line untouched, the two-time All-Pro initially wasn't able to wrap up Wilson in the pocket, but he recovered to hit the quarterback as he threw and cause an incompletion, forcing the Broncos to punt.
In visible pain after the play, Adams limped his way to the sideline and quickly entered Seattle's blue injury tent for evaluation. Shortly after, he was listed as doubtful to return and with him unable to put weight on his injured left leg, medical personnel helped load him onto a medical cart and he was escorted off the field.
Injuries have been a persistent issue for Adams ever since arriving in a blockbuster trade with the Jets two years ago. The 27-year old underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder after the 2020 season and again last winter after re-injuring the shoulder in a Week 13 win over the 49ers. In addition, he has had multiple surgeries to repair troublesome fingers, including having two fingers fused this offseason and re-breaking one of those fingers in the first training camp practice.
"It sucks man," Fellow safety Quandre Diggs said of Adams' injury after Monday's game. "This guy has had a hell of a camp. He's had a hell of an offseason. You hate to see it. You know, especially Jamal being one of my closest friends. It's tough."
There's never a good time to suffer an injury, but Diggs pointed out that Adams was in a great place mentally after spending the offseason rehabbing from several surgeries and was "the most comfortable he's been around here." Early returns playing in coordinator Clint Hurtt's hybrid 3-4 defense looked promising for the disruptive playmaker.
Now, the Seahawks will have to wait until next year to see him wreak havoc. Only a year after signing a record-breaking four-year, $70 million contract extension, this latest injury may also cast some doubts about his long-term future with the franchise. He carries a dead cap hit north of $21 million in 2023, so they won't be moving on from him next year. But they would save nearly $9 million against the cap in 2024 while incurring a $14.22 million dead cap hit if they decide to part ways at that point.
It would be a devastating blow for general manager John Schneider and the front office after dealing multiple high draft picks to acquire Adams in the first place and making him the NFL's highest-paid safety. While Adams can't be blamed for bad luck in the injury department, those immense investments haven't come close to paying off and the trade looks like a massive whiff for the organization at this point.
Overall, Adams missed nine games in his first two seasons while playing through injuries in several other contests. If his 2022 season is over after just one game as it appears, he will have missed 26 games in three seasons.
In a corresponding roster move to fill Adams' spot on the 53-man roster, Rapoport reported the Seahawks have signed cornerback Teez Tabor off of the Falcons practice squad. A former second-round pick for the Lions in 2017, the 6-foot, 190-pound defender has appeared in 28 career games, producing 50 tackles and a quarterback hit. He played in six games as a safety for the Bears in 2021 and will now reunite with associate head coach Sean Desai in the Pacific Northwest.
RENTON, Wash. - While coach Pete Carroll didn't completely dismiss the possibility injured running back Rashaad Penny could return for a playoff run next month, he quickly shot down any possibility of Jamal Adams making a similar miraculous comeback for the Seahawks this season.
Speaking with reporters after Friday's practice in preparation for a Week 14 matchup with Carolina, Carroll started off the press conference expressing his excitement to see Adams, who returned to the facility for a periodic check up with Seattle's medical staff. But although the safety appears to be on schedule - if not ahead of schedule - in his recovery from a torn quad, he's not close to seeing the field again anytime soon.
"I don't know what it is, but it's a full recovery now," Carroll said of Adams' recovery timeline. "It's going to take him the whole offseason."
According to Carroll, Adams has made positive progress through a "taxing" recovery after undergoing surgery to repair his torn quad in September. The veteran defender suffered the injury early in the second quarter against the Broncos when he tried to sack former teammate Russell Wilson in the backfield and then hobbled off the field.
Exiting on a medical cart from the sideline moments later, Adams quickly was ruled out for the rest of the game and placed on season-ending injured reserve days later. It marked the third straight year where he suffered a substantial injury, as he tore the labrum in his left shoulder in 2020 and 2021, requiring surgery both times. He reinjured the shoulder last November, abruptly ending his season with five games left to play.
In three seasons with the Seahawks since being acquired from the Jets in exchange for a pair of first round picks and a third round pick, Adams has missed a total of 20 games and by the end of the season, that number will jump to 25. This latest injury was especially demoralizing for the player and the organization given high expectations for him playing in new coordinator Clint Hurtt's hybrid 3-4 scheme, which was expected to accentuate his unique strengths.
Since undergoing his latest operation to repair his quad injury, Adams has been rehabbing away from the team in Texas. Beginning to reap the rewards of his hard work after several months working simply to get back on his feet again, he recently began posting clips of him working out on his social media accounts to take fans behind the scenes in his recovery.
"He's been through a lot," Carroll explained. "He'll tell you it's been rigorous to get back to where he's really walking and up on it and going and all. He's got a big old zipper on his knee and all that. This injury in particular is a difficult one, it's a challenging one. But he's doing great and he's happy about it now. He's finally going and can really feel the progress and can finally get strong and all that."
While Adams won't be back in uniform in 2022, he appears to be well on his way towards returning in time for the start of training camp next July. Two years after signing a then-record breaking $70 million contract extension, both he and Seattle will be hoping for a strong bounce back season after being sidelined for the final 16 regular season games.
In the meantime, with Carroll saying the player is in a good place mentally, Adams will continue to cheer on his teammates from afar as he continues to battle through another lengthy rehab and the Seahawks push for a spot in the playoffs.
"It's just good to see him back and about and having that spirit around the building was great. We miss him. "
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- Who's bored now? Certainly not Jamal Adams, who is thriving in his post-New York Jets life. The Seattle Seahawks safety, who faces his old team on Sunday at Lumen Field (4:05 p.m. ET, CBS), is on the verge of breaking the NFL's single-season sack record for defensive backs.
Gregg Williams? Well, he might be experiencing boredom. The former Jets defensive coordinator, who tweaked Adams and the Seahawks in September by saying the All-Pro would get "bored" in Seattle's basic Cover 3 scheme, has plenty of time on his hands now that he is unemployed.
Make no mistake, the summer blockbuster trade that sent Adams to Seattle doesn't look too good right now. The Jets (0-12) are enduring the worst season in franchise history, a season that will be remembered for the Adams trade (July 25) and last Sunday's Cover 0 meltdown that cost Williams his job. With Adams looming, and no doubt looking for revenge, the Jets' week is about to get worse.
Adams might try to downplay it, but you know he wants to embarrass Jets coach Adam Gase, whom he excoriated on his way out the door. Surely, Adams will get the last laugh this season, but the Jets -- and their fans -- have to be thinking about the long game. For them, the trade never was about 2020. (In retrospect, the trade signaled the start of a rebuild.) It's all about 2021 and 2022, and whether general manager Joe Douglas can parlay the draft picks into quality players.
The Jets got excellent value from Seattle, receiving 2021 and 2022 first-round picks and a 2021 third-round pick. They also acquired strong safety Bradley McDougald, who was supposed to be Adams Lite but disappointed before having season-ending shoulder surgery. McDougald, due to become a free agent, won't be back in 2021. That was the worst part of the trade; the Jets thought they had picked up a solid starter in McDougald.
Right now, the Jets have three of the top 33 picks in the 2021 NFL draft. Maybe they can acquire another top-50 pick by trading quarterback Sam Darnold. That would be a nice way to kick-start the rebuild, assuming Douglas doesn't blow the picks.
As much as the Jets miss Adams' playmaking ability, they made the right move because his contract demands were outrageous (for a strong safety, no less) and his presence on defense wouldn't have prevented this disaster. They stink without him. With him, they'd be stinking just a little less. Truth be told, his volatile personality might have combusted the locker room. Could you imagine him enduring a season like this?
In good times (count them on one hand), Adams was a catalyst for the Jets, an energizer. On Monday, Darnold was asked if Jets players miss Adams' passion and presence in the locker room. He paused a few seconds, trying to choose the right words. He wanted to compliment Adams without upsetting his current teammates.
"Whenever you've got a guy like Jamal who brings energy every day -- it's tough to say," Darnold said. "When he's here, you feel his energy. When he's not, you have other guys step up and other guys were able to lead. So, obviously, there's some days where you miss that energy, but we have a lot of good players here and guys who bring a lot of good energy towards the locker room."
On Sunday, Darnold will have to deal with Adams buzzing around the line of scrimmage. Despite missing four games with a groin injury, he has 7.5 sacks in eight games, a half-sack shy of Adrian Wilson's record for defensive backs (eight in 2005). Credit Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, who tweaked his scheme to fit Adams' blitzing ability. That's what good coaches do. That's why the Seahawks (8-4) are on the verge of their ninth straight winning season.
Once again, Williams was wrong, thinking Adams would languish once he no longer was part of his sophisticated scheme and all its "complexities" (his word). Back in September, Carroll enjoyed a laugh when told of Williams' comments. Dripping with sarcasm, he said, "Gosh, we're so simple here and basic that we probably won't get to any of that stuff" -- i.e. deploying Adams as a blitzer. Carroll also said of Williams, "We don't make as many mistakes as he does."
Talk about prophetic.
"Obviously, Jamal presents a challenge for everyone, for our tight ends, our receivers, our line, myself, our running backs," Darnold said. "He's a really, really good player, physical player, super smart as well. So, we've got our hands full there and we're excited to obviously not just face him, but face a really good Seattle defense."
The 49ers stunned most people around the league when they signed linebacker Fred Warner to what was believed to be a five-year contract for $95.225 million. That would have made him the highest paid linebacker in league history. It appeared he blew past the $18 million a year deal Bobby Wagner signed with the Seahawks in 2019.
But as I say so often, it’s always advisable to wait a couple of days to see where the numbers really stand.
As it turned out, it can be $19 million a year but really isn’t. There are two voidable years at the end of Warner’s contract. Technically, it’s a three-year deal at $18.3 million a year. The 49ers do have the right to buy the last two years, which would make it a five-year deal at $95.225 million, but that’s not guaranteed.
Still, it’s a great deal for Warner and a smart one for the 49ers. Darius Leonard of the Indianapolis Colts should be the next linebacker to get something done but it’s probably just going to be for a little more than Warner.
In a year in which the NFL salary cap dropped eight percent to $182.5 million, big jumps in the yearly average aren’t easily obtained. Look at what happened at the safety position. Budda Baker of the Arizona Cardinals had been the highest-paid safety at $14.75 million a year. Justin Simmons of the Denver Broncos was on the franchise tag but he ended up getting $15.25 million a year.
You wonder how this trend will affect the Jamal Adams negotiations for the Seahawks. Adams will end up as the highest-paid safety in the league. The Seahawks could go to $16 million a year and maybe a little bit more, but if Adams wants $17-18 million, that might be tough unless they do something similar to what the 49ers did with Warner.
Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott wanted to break the bank with his deal with the Cowboys but settled for $40 million a year, just a little over the new money paid last year to Patrick Mahomes ($39.8 million a year in new money) and Deshaun Watson ($39 million a year).
