2022 NHL Future Bets: Top 4 Futures to Wager On Before the Season

The NHL season is right around the corner, and the thing I can definitively say about futures is that when you have a long season going on — whether it be 82 games or 162 games — you're bound to come across some gems that you never really thought about at the beginning of the year.

Especially in hockey, for example. You could see the potential of a heavy underdog to either make the playoffs or win the division, and that $10 you randomly placed but completely forgot about hits your account at the end of the season and you feel a lot better about yourself.

This is going to be one of the more intriguing NHL seasons we've seen to date, and for the first time in a long time, there should be some unknown. There should be some hesitancy from taking teams that you or I have taken in the past and thought that it was a good idea to do so. Maybe this year isn't the case, and it's going to make this season a lot more exciting from the jump.

I've scoured through BetMGM's recent futures and have found some gems that you should consider putting some money on for the year. Here are my guesses, in no particular order:

It won't come as a shock that the defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche are favored at a heavy -165 to repeat as Central Division champs, but I could understand if there was some pause for Colorado to win. For one thing, Alexandar Georgiev is the goalie now after Darcy Kuemper left for Washington. For all the talk of how good the system in Colorado is tailored toward goalies, I've still yet to see enough from Georgiev to believe he can be the guy over a long period of time.

Colorado is still overtly talented and will likely win. But given an injury or two, does that open the door for the next best team? Maybe the Minnesota Wild? A full year with Marc-Andre Fleury in net, the ascension of Kirill Kaprizov as a superstar in this league, and balance up and down the lineup that can rival anyone.

The Wild let one get away last year in a six-game loss to the St. Louis Blues in the first round. They want to prove last year was an aberration, and if you can get them rolling, they may sneak for the division title. Maybe hedge a bit if you're confident in Colorado, but of all the teams with tempting odds, it might be Minnesota.

Okay, sometimes you need to be a little bold when it comes to these sorts of things. If you're feeling risky, and sipping the Kool-Aid at the same time, a few bucks on the Ottawa Senators to surprise the world and win the division.

Yes, this might be the riskiest play you could take this year outside of taking the Sens to win the Stanley Cup. If you really want to take them at +5000, who am I to stop you? But the Senators were the big winners of the offseason, trading for Alex DeBrincat from Chicago, bringing in Claude Giroux for maybe a last hurrah in his hometown, trading for Cam Talbot (who will miss at least the first month with an injury, but still good enough to win in his absence), and suddenly this is a competitive team.

But, I get it. There's Tampa, there's Florida, there's Toronto. Asking these young Senators to plow their way through Congress and unseat these incumbents is an uphill climb. But if this team is competitive by, say, January, we may have to think of all plausible options.

This is the most "health-pending" situation we've ever seen. The Devils are ready to break through and become a playoff team but, of course, health pending or even coach-fired-pending should be taken into consideration. New Jersey has the talent to take that next leap and win some games. Is it enough to do so when the New York Rangers are still a thing? Possibly not.

But let's put health aside for a second. Jack Hughes is about to turn into a superstar. If he doesn't, it might be panic time for the Devils. He should be healthy, stay health, and nothing more needs to be said. The Devils are ready to leap and if some injuries hinder the top teams, it wouldn't shock me to see New Jersey hang around.

There's something about cynicism that just drives me insane. Perhaps I have lost my mind and think that the Vegas Golden Knights will do something of importance. But you can't tell me that 18-to-1 is a good deal to take with the champs to be decided.

Yes, the Golden Knights are going through a ton right now as it pertains to staff and management. Bruce Cassidy is the new coach, Vegas gets a healthy Jack Eichel and Mark Stone. Logan Thompson is the starting goalie and will need to carry this team with Robin Lehner injured.

They lost 500-plus man games to injury last year. I think they can stay healthy this year and can do some damage with the talent up front. Party down Las Vegas Boulevard. It's time.