New Jersey Devils: Jack Hughes MVP Odds Will Surprise You

The New Jersey Devils have been a fun team with some surprising wins this season. The last time the Devils were beating teams many didn’t expect them to beat, they broke a five-year playoff drought back in 2018. They left the postseason with a whimper, losing in five games to the Tampa Bay Lightning, but one thing will live on from that season. Taylor Hall won the MVP, which was the first time anyone won the Hart Trophy in the history of the franchise.

It’s hard to fathom that a team with the best goalie of all time and three Stanley Cup Championships never had an MVP, but that’s how it all worked out. Now that Hall was able to break the ice, future players will have a chance to get consideration. The one many believe could have MVP aspirations in the future is Jack Hughes.

Hughes has been very good this season under new head coach Lindy Ruff. It might be Ruff’s best work of the season. He’s making his linemates better, scoring goals and making plays, and he’s often the best player on the ice.

So, is it crazy to think if the Devils somehow made a run to the playoffs that Jack Hughes would get consideration for MVP? While it might sound crazy now (although we made a long-shot prediction it could happen before the season), the odds show it’s not as crazy as it was considered before.

According to Fanduel Sportsbook in New Jersey, Hughes odds currently sit at +3400 to win the MVP. That seems like a mighty long shot (and it is), but there are only nine players above him. He has the same odds as David Pastrnak (which is incorrect, btw, bet on Pastrnak now), Alexander Ovechkin, Artemi Panarin (who was a finalist last season), and Brayden Point. He has better odds than Mat Barzal, Sidney Crosby, and his brother Quinn Hughes.

Obviously, the MVP looks like it’s a two-person race, so Fanduel is probably trying to goat bettors into moves towards longshots based on their favorite teams. However, we checked the Colorado Fanduel Sportsbook and the odds are the same. Fanduel is saying that the Devils star 19-year-old center is worthy of at least a small portion of MVP consideration. This is claiming he’s a top 25 player.

Obviously, it’s hard to give Hughes any MVP consideration when Mackenzie Blackwood has played so well in net (he’s actually third in Vezina Trophy odds at 10/1). He’s been the team’s MVP, so it’s probably the netminder who is going to get the consideration. However, Hughes does have 11 points in 13 games. If he’s able to get that past a point per game, then he’s going to get noticed by national writers. He will likely even get a few top-five Hart Trophy votes.