When each NHL season begins, there are debates and predictions as to who could win some NHL Awards for that season. One of the more debated awards is the prestigious Maurice Rocket Richard Award, given annually to player who scores the most goals in a season.
In three of the last five seasons, the award has been one by Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs. This past season, he scored 69 goals and he also won the award in 2020-21 with 41 goals and 2021-222 with 60. Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers won the award in 2022-23 with 64 goals, three more than David Pastrnak's 61 with the Boston Bruins in their record-setting regular season. In the COVID-shortened 2019-20 season, Pastrnak and Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals shared the award with 48.
This past season, Pastrnak led the Black and Gold with 47 goals, finishing 22 behind Matthews, but going into the 2024-25 season, according to FanDuel, Pastrnak has the second-best odds to capture the award himself.
FanDuel releases Rocket Richard Award odds
According to FanDuel, Matthews is the favorite to win the award again at -115, but Pastrnak is second at +550, followed by Leon Draisailt of the Oilers and Kirill Kaprizov of the Minnesota Wild at +750.
It's not surprising to see Pastrnak have the second-best odds as he will play alongside new teammate Elias Lindholm after the former Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames center signed a seven-year deal with Boston last week when free agency began. He is the play-making center that Pastrnak did not get to play with this past season after the retirements of Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci last summer.
Playing alongside Lindholm and with Pavel Zacha likely on the left side, Pastrnak should have no shortage of opportunities at even strength and on the power play to score goals. Kaprizov being tied for the third-best odds is somewhat surprising, but if there is one big takeaway from the odds, it's that FanDuel thinks Matthews is going to again lead the league in goals and it's hard to believe that it won't happen again, but expect Pastrnak to have a say in things before everything is all said and done.