The Colorado Avalanche made themselves a great value bet to win it all with a smart NHL draft.

Through the NHL Draft and a terrific trade, the longshot New Jersey Devils look like a terrific NHL futures bet.

The first two picks seem pretty certain but after that the draft, which starts Friday in Vancouver, should be pretty wide open. We look at the players and teams to watch, plus recommend some NHL draft best bets.

The three finalists for the NHL’s Frank J. Selke Trophy, given to the league’s top defensive forward in media voting, are fairly close on the odds board. It might be the most interesting bet for Wednesday’s NHL Awards as most awards categories have clear favorites.

Matt Grzelcyk's return to the Bruins from a concussion is more than a feel-good story. He'll have an impact, and an odds shift reflects that.

Will the Bruins be without their captain, Zdeno Chara, in the crucial Game 5 of their Stanley Cup Final against the St. Louis Blues?

Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals saw the Bruins lose a very important defenseman, Matt Grzelcyk, to a likely concussion after his head was hit into the glass by St. Louis Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist.

The Boston Bruins now have a 77.2 percent chance of winning the Stanley Cup. At least, that’s what history says because, since 1939, that’s how often teams who win Game 1 in the Cup Final series go on to capture the trophy.

On Saturday, the semifinals of the tournament – which dates all the way back to 1920 – commence, with Finland vs. Russia and Canada vs. the Czech Republic. The championship game will be on Sunday, at Ondrej Nepala Arena in Slovakia (all games on NHL Network).

History shows bettors should be wary of teams that have too much rest in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Zdeno Chara’s numbers are declining. A case can be made that the Bruins aren’t as good a team when he’s out there on the ice. But he still makes the Bruins a better bet.

Has the magic finally run out for the San Jose Sharks in the NHL playoffs? It certainly feels that way.