By: Kevin O’Keefe | Follow me on Twitter @Kevin_OKeefe89
The Boston Bruins Stanley Cup odds are in, but unfortunately you can’t bet on those odds in Massachusetts. Sports betting in Massachusetts is currently illegal, but that all could change soon with a vote reportedly to be held on the matter this week. If this passes, sports betting could bring in an estimated $70-million in tax revenue. While there is still no confirmation yet on if Massachusetts will pass this, you should still keep an eye on these odds. The Bruins are currently sitting in sixth place at +1600 behind the likes of Colorado (+550), Vegas (+550), Tampa Bay (+650), Carolina (+1100) and Toronto (+1200) in the odds bracket. These numbers can improve depending on what the Bruins and other teams in the league do this off-season.
Boston is still a cup contender as stands in the eyes of many, how serious of a contender though? That remains to be seen. With an estimated $25-million in cap space to work with, Boston looks to be in good shape to re-sign many of their pending free agents. winger Taylor Hall, center David Krejci and goaltender Tuukka Rask, highlight the list of players in search of a new contract with the black and gold. Defenseman Brandon Carlo recently inked a brand new six-year extension with the big club in what was a big signing for general manager Don Sweeney. Next up on his list will be locking down Hall and Krejci to new deals and may end up being the most important deals for the Bruins odds of returning to Stanley Cup glory.
Re-signing their own players won’t be enough to push Boston higher up in the odds bracket, with multiple areas of need the team will need to address. One of those needs is a top-4 left-shot defenseman. Don Sweeney decided this past off-season to go with a youth-movement, allowing Boston’s young prospects to get a real look in the NHL line-up. This wasn’t a major failure though, as the Bruins were able to come within two wins of the conference finals. It was still the Achilles-heal for the Bruins, as the defensive depth wasn’t enough to push them past the New York Islanders in the second round of the playoffs. Adding an experienced top-4 guy would give Boston a more stable presence on the blue-line and help those cup odds rise.
Another area of concern for this team heading into next season is their depth-scoring, specifically in the bottom-6. Bruins winger Jake Debrusk struggled much of the season along with center Charlie Coyle on the teams third-line. Adding in a goal-scoring right-winger for that third line, would ultimately give the Bruins another line to roll out and be a threat to score on a nightly-basis. Debrusk has recently been the target of many trade rumors, so the likely hood of him remaining on the team seems to be in flux.
The Bruins seem to be a couple of signings and possibly a trade away from being one of the top-favorites to win-it-all this upcoming season. Massachusetts would be wise to legalize this as they already have other forms of betting legal here within the state. A petition created by our very own Andrew Taverna, has been making its rounds to help the case of finally legalizing this matter. Make sure you get your voice heard by signing this petition if you dream of being able to cash-in on your favorite sports team’s success.
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