NHL’s Worst Teams (Senators, Kings, Ducks) All See Regular-Season Point Totals Climb; Will Any Hit the Over?

• The bottom five teams on the NHL regular season point totals include the Anaheim Ducks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings, and Ottawa Senators
• Bolstered by the addition of four former Toronto Maple Leafs, the youthful Senators have emerged as an attractive -110 bet to compile OVER 68.5 points
• Senators will continue to face a massive challenge competing in the Atlantic Division, which features three Stanley Cup contending teams

With NHL training camps now in full swing, it’s a good time to take another up-close look at NHL regular season point total projections. There are no surprises at be found at the bottom of the odds board.

Notable among the bottom feeders: the Los Angeles Kings, who saw their point total fall by 27 points last season under the weight of a roster dominated by aging players with unmovable contracts. Their crosstown rival Anaheim Ducks endured a similar setback last season, and for similar reasons. A free-agent exodus is expected to take its toll in Columbus, while the Detroit Red Wings can look forward to a fourth straight season of mediocrity.

However, one club stands out among those expected to finish at the bottom of the standings this season. After hitting rock bottom last season with an NHL-worst 68 points, the Ottawa Senators return to action listed as an attractive -110 bet to rack up OVER 68.5 points on the NHL regular season point totals.

NHL Regular Season Point Totals

*Odds taken 09/14/19

Senators Making Headlines for all the Wrong Reasons

The Senators have made the headlines for all the wrong reasons since their surprising march to the Eastern Conference Final in 2017. The team’s subpar performance on the ice was not helped by locker room feuding, and was further inflamed by owner Eugene Melnyk’s poorly timed commentary on the team’s uncertain future in Ottawa.

https://twitter.com/ryanclassic/status/1101579240250564608?s=20

Despite the ongoing sideshow, there are reasons for Ottawa hockey fans to be optimistic about the Senators’ fortunes in the near term. One year removed from the fire sale that led to the departures of Kyle Turris (and subsequently, Matt Duchene), Erik Karlsson, Mike Hoffman, Mark Stone, Dion Phaneuf, and Ryan Dzingel, the Senators take to the ice sporting a youthful and talented roster that could surprise.

Veteran Goaltending Supported by a Stabilized Rearguard Corps

Ottawa goaltenders were bombarded last season, facing an NHL-high 35.7 shots on goal per game, and allowing an NHL-worst 3.67 goals per game. But even with the season lost, the club’s netminders stood tall down the stretch, holding opponents to two or fewer goals on five occasions during a respectable season-ending 6-6-0 run.

Anders Nilsson and Craig Anderson are likely to get more support this season from a blue line corps that underwent a serious overhaul over the summer.

Thomas Chabot enters 2019-20 with an average of 0.60 points per game, pacing all blueliners from the 2015 draft class. #NHLStats pic.twitter.com/UT9mqGtGyE

— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) September 12, 2019

Following a breakthrough 55-point season, Thomas Chabot will be looking to justify a huge pay raise ahead of the expiration of his entry-level contract next July. The club will be hoping that their other stud defenceman can enjoy a similar breakthrough, with 20-year-old Swedish phenom Erik Brannstrom set to make his NHL debut after impressing with 32 points in 50 AHL games in his first year of North American hockey.

Following a breakthrough 55-point season, Thomas Chabot will be looking to justify a huge pay raise ahead of the expiration of his entry-level contract next July

The kids will get receive plenty of veteran support on the blue line with the addition of former Toronto Maple Leafs Ron Hainsey and Nikita Zaitsev. A 16-year veteran and Stanley Cup winner, Hainsey will fill a massive leadership void in Ottawa, while Zaitsev will likely eat up big minutes in all situations.

Former Leafs Expected to Add Versatility to Senators Attack

Up front, a talented group of budding prospects will have every opportunity to take the next step. Brady Tkachuk will be aiming to build on a solid rookie campaign in which he scored 22 goals and added 23 helpers in just 71 outings. He will be joined by center Colin White, who potted 41 points in his first season of NHL hockey, while youngsters like Drake Batherson, Alex Formenton, and Rudolfs Balcers look to impress in NHL debuts.

The corps up front has also been strengthened by the addition of veteran center Artem Anismov. Former Leafs Connor Brown and Tyler Ennis will be counted on in every situation by new head coach DJ Smith, who spent the past four season as Mike Babcock’s assistant in Toronto.

The DJ express in full force in Ottawa…
Leafs now Senators

Hainsey
Ennis
Zaitsev
Brown

— John Shannon (@JShannonhl) July 1, 2019

The Senators continue to face some massive challenges in their bid to return to respectability. Faced with the daunting task of competing in the Atlantic Division, which features three teams among the favorites on the Stanley Cup odds, including the Maple Leafs, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Boston Bruins, Ottawa remains a massive +700 longshot to make the NHL playoffs.

However, with a tighter defence, the emergence of a talented group of youngsters, and the absence of melodrama that has plagued the club for the past two seasons, the Senators are the best bet among the NHL’s also-rans to make gains in the upcoming campaign.

Pick: Ottawa Senators OVER 68.5 regular season points (-110)