Since the 1998-99 season, the Maurice “Rocket" Richard Trophy has been awarded to the player who scores the most goals in the NHL regular season.
After the consensus best player in the world, Connor McDavid, finally earned the honor for the first time last season, the field is once again full of superstars and wide open.
Let’s look at the 2024 Rocket Richard Trophy odds and see where the best betting value is.
NHL Rocket Richard Trophy Odds 2024
NHL betting odds used for these Rocket Richard Trophy predictions are from Thursday, Aug. 31, and courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
- Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers (+220)
- Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs (+550)
- Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers (+700)
- David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins (+900)
- Mikko Rantanen, Colorado Avalanche (+1400)
- Jason Robertson, Dallas Stars (+1500)
- Tage Thompson, Buffalo Sabres (+1500)
- Kirill Kaprizov, Minnesota Wild (+1500)
- Jack Hughes, New Jersey Devils (+1600)
- Matthew Tkachuk, Florida Panthers (+1800)
- Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche (+1800)
- Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals (+2500)
Who Will Be NHL’s Top Scorer in 2024?
Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers (+220)
There’s no need to overthink this one: the current trophy holder is a heavy favorite for a reason. McDavid is the best hockey player on Earth and already one of the best of all time.
Even though his game is so well-rounded, and his greatness often manifests itself by way of assists, it is surprising that McDavid didn’t secure this trophy earlier than his eighth season.
If there’s a reason to be down on McDavid and question these odds, it is that willingness to pass and the issue of sharing the ice with one of the league’s other top goal-scorers, Leon Draisaitl.
Workload-sharing aside, McDavid has shown an eye for the net by ripping in a career-high 64 goals last season, the highest total from any winner since 2008.
With an unmatched ability to impact the game, he should be viewed as the favorite for this award as long as he’s healthy.
Rocket Richard Trophy Favorites
Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs (+550)
After much speculation that Matthews would be heading out of town, Toronto fans were able to collectively relax this offseason when the goal-scoring phenom finally signed a four-year contract extension, making him the highest-paid player in the league.
By getting the deal done, Toronto retained the services of one of the most prolific skaters in the sport and a two-time winner of the Rocket Richard Trophy.
- See where the Maple Leafs sit in the latest Stanley Cup odds.
Matthews missed some time last year, but that doesn’t fully explain why he fell to 15th on the league’s goal-scoring list, registering 40 tallies in 74 games.
Perhaps with the contract situation behind him, the American goal machine will return to his top form, which saw him reach the 60-goal mark in 73 contests two seasons ago.
Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers (+700)
Draisaitl is waiting patiently for his moment.
He has been among the top-four goal-scorers every season since 2018-19, including a pair of second-place finishes, but he hasn’t yet secured his Rocket Richard Trophy. Last season, he finished fourth league-wide with 52 goals.
The German superstar benefits and suffers from playing alongside McDavid. It’s hard to be the focal point of an offense with a guy like that on the ice, especially when you share a power-play unit. Conversely, playing with McDavid makes you the beneficiary of plenty of space and some lovely assists.
Draisaitl has been close enough to touch this trophy for a few years, but we’ll see if this is the one he finally tops the chart.
Rocket Richard Trophy Contenders
David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins (+900)
One of the few active winners of the award, the Czech right winger led the league in scoring in 2020 with a solid tally of 48 goals in 70 games.
Pastrnak was incredibly unlucky not to earn the honor again last season, as his incredible 61 goals came up short due to a Herculean effort from McDavid. He was also the runner-up to McDavid in the race for the Hart Trophy as the driving force of a historically dominant Bruins squad.
- Check out this year’s favorites for the Hart Trophy with our NHL MVP odds.
After that record-setting regular season ended in a shocking first-round playoff upset, Pastrnak has a lot to prove this year. He will be eager to make amends after he could have won everything individually and collectively with Boston but walked away with nothing.
Mikko Rantanen, Colorado Avalanche (+1400)
Rantanen also got a little unlucky last season. The Finnish winger finished in third in the goal-scoring table with a career-high 55 goals, a tally that would’ve won him the award in every season from 2012-13 to 2020-21, albeit with some shortened campaigns in there.
Rantanen is lucky enough to share a line with Nathan MacKinnon, an outstanding passer who contributes plenty of assists. They form a star duo that has gotten Colorado to the top of the hockey world with a Stanley Cup victory in 2022.
After surpassing his previous career best by 19 goals, we’ll see if Rantanen can continue producing at that level.
Rocket Richard Trophy Sleepers
Tage Thompson, Buffalo Sabres (+1500)
Coming off his age-25 season, Thompson has rapidly improved and increased his goal-scoring output over the last few seasons.
His first double-digit scoring campaign came in 2021-22 when he scored 38 goals, and he upped the tally to 47 last season. Thompson is one of a handful of young talents on an up-and-coming Buffalo squad.
- Bet on the NHL’s top rookies with our Calder Trophy odds & predictions.
Based on what we’ve already seen from him and the team around him, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him keep rising through the ranks and crack the 50-goal plateau this season.
Jack Hughes, New Jersey Devils (+1600)
Like Thompson, Hughes is a young star who is only getting better. He debuted with a seven-goal season, followed by efforts of 11 and 26, before racking up 43 last year, and he’s still only entering his age-22 season.
The Devils will be an extremely offense-heavy squad this year, and Hughes will be the definitive focal point of their scoring efforts.
After improving his physical profile and taking a genuine star leap, Hughes has the potential to be one of the NHL’s top scorers next season.
Matthew Tkachuk, Florida Panthers (+1800)
After breaking out with 42 goals for the Calgary Flames in 2021-22, many thought that the Panthers’ trade for Tkachuk was rash and reactionary, but he followed it up with another 40 last season.
Tkachuk finished third in Hart Trophy voting a year ago, a nod to his immense ability on the ice, and shined in Florida’s run to the Stanley Cup Final.
With Florida geared up for another strong season, let’s see if Tkachuk can extend the magic he whipped up throughout an incredible postseason run.
Previous Rocket Richard Trophy Winners
2023: Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers
2022: Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs
2021: Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs
2020: Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals
2020: David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins (shared)
2019: Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals
2018: Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals
2017: Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins
2016: Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals
2015: Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals
2014: Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals