Ice Hockey Betting: Slam Your Puck to Winning Wagers

After what has been quite an impressive yet short-lived run by the Winnipeg Jets last season, one of the priorities for the team has been to keep its most reliable stars in the fray and make sure they can boost the squad's chances of winning in the league. One of these talented players is Gabriel Vilardi, who is now slated to stay for six more years.

The Jets were definitely pegged to be a Stanley Cup contender after last season's exploits. Vilardi was one of the standout performers for the team, cruising for career-highs and being one of the team's most consistent players in the rotation for most of the season. Now he's getting paid with impressive bearing for the team's chances of winning.

At the age of 25, Vilardi would have become a free agent if not for this deal. With a possible arbitration hearing averted, the focus now shifts for the forward to put a focus on his works towards the season, which arguably has been really fun to watch as he improves his level of play now more than ever.

A Shining Performer for the Jets

Vilardi has been quite the star for Winnipeg, and it cannot be denied that he's been a phenomenal star on the rise. The forward posted 61 points last season with 27 goals and 34 assists – all career-highs in just 71 games. His massive performances say a lot about the drastic improvement that was expected from him in his time with the Los Angeles Kings.

For what it's worth, Vilardi knows how to play at a high level, and his consistent performances have often outshined many elite players from the Jets roster. The forward has played in many clutch moments, and he has certainly proved that he can be a competent performer in the rotation, which says a lot about why the signing made perfect sense.

Selected by the Kings back in the 2017 NHL Draft, Vilardi spent years with the Los Angeles squad and played 270 regular season games and 21 playoff games. So far, Vilardi has a tally of 175 points off 90 goals and 85 assists in 270 regular-season games for both the Kings and Jets combined.

Staying with the Jets

Perhaps one of the biggest factors that has made Vilardi a key player for the Jets aside from his impressive upsides is the fact that he's an Ontario native. Sure, he did miss out on the final 11 games of the regular season and the first four playoff games for Winnipeg last season, but he remains an elite performer in his own right.

Acquired back in June 2023 in a trade that sent Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Kings, Vilardi has turned out for the best for the Jets so far, and his level of play has certainly turned out for the best as he continues to thrive in the Winnipeg system. Still, the expectations are high for Vilardi to make the most of his new contract. He is indeed one of the most explosive performers on the big stage, and one can say that he will be grinding his way to the top of the pecking order in Winnipeg in the coming season.

The mere fact that he posted a lot of career-highs last season says a lot about how he is able to make an impact in the game and show that he deserves the new extension. So far, Vilardi is even pegged to become an All-Star next season, but that’s only feasible if he continues the offensive tear he was on last season.

Of course, if there’s one big star who should be offered an extension deal at this point, it is Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers. While there are many players who are still signing deals at this point in time, McDavid is yet to come up with terms with his team as he seeks to find out the best move for his career moving forward.

While many reports say that the Edmonton star will likely be signing a new massive deal with the Oilers, it also suggests that McDavid is also open to considering offers from other teams as well. That is definitely a huge concern to consider for the team at this point, considering that McDavid has actually become the face of the team.

McDavid isn’t leaving the team anytime soon. He still has two years to go with the Oilers before he will become an unrestricted free agent – in which offers left and right will come in now more than ever. After all, with the way things are looking right now, it is not impossible for McDavid to explore his value in the market while also finding a team with a better shot at the Stanley Cup Final.

The Future of McDavid

The Edmonton Oilers captain is definitely expected to wait out the entire offseason and even take it into next season before finally discussing with the management. Still, reports claim that an extension is really highly likely to come, and it is the “when” that would definitely mind boggle a lot of critics and fans at this point.

There is definitely a strong fear of losing McDavid. After all, the star has become the top performer for the team at this point. And it would be hard to sway their remaining stars, such as Leon Draisaitl to stay if one of the core pieces does not commit to the next season.

It can be remembered that the Oilers have endured back-to-back heartbreaks at this point, losing both Stanley Cup Final disappointments to the Florida Panthers. The 2024 edition saw them come close to completing a 0-3 comeback, while last month’s run proved to be more futile as they failed to come up with a better performance.

Still, the frustration may be starting to mount up for McDavid and the rest of the team, but it also means that there’s unfinished business for the star to look forward to. Setbacks are just another reason for McDavid’s loyalty to endure now more than ever.

Complex Extension Problems

McDavid’s extension with the Oilers does not come without repercussions as well. It is expected that McDavid will have the most lucrative deal in NHL history should he elect to stay with the Oilers. This means that they may have to give up some key assets and come up with cheaper signings in order to afford his talent for more years to come.

Still, Edmonton fans don’t really have to worry much for now. The Oilers fell short in the biggest stage of the game for the second time around, and a few roster tweaks should solve the problem – along with some improved coaching as well.

In all sense, McDavid is expected to re-sign with the Oilers, and he’s just biding his time. This just means that fans should not panic nor create ruckus about him moving on from the team. There’s still months to go in the offseason, and there’s also more to talk about how he will eventually be open to talks moving forward.

After more than a decade of quiet consistency and hard-nosed effort in the NHL, Riley Nash has officially called it a career. The 36-year-old center confirmed his retirement in early July, ending a 13-season journey that took him through eight different NHL franchises, countless faceoffs, and one long, hard-earned road from first-round pick to trusted depth veteran.

The Kamloops native broke the news in an interview with local outlet Castanet, where he spoke candidly about the toll of professional hockey and the pull of family life. He later added that his decision had been building for some time, particularly after spending the 2024–25 season away from the game to recover from a lingering knee injury.

Drafted 21st overall by the Edmonton Oilers in 2007, Nash’s NHL path took longer to form than most first-rounders. He played three seasons at Cornell University before turning pro and eventually making his NHL debut with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2011. From there, he carved out a reputation as a smart, defensively reliable forward who could be trusted in any situation.

Moving on from the Game

Nash played 628 NHL games in total, recording 63 goals and 113 assists. Nash spent time with Carolina, Boston, Columbus, Winnipeg, Toronto, Tampa Bay, Arizona, and the New York Rangers, wearing many jerseys but always bringing the same blue-collar work ethic that made him a coach’s favorite.

He was never a flashy scorer, but his value came in the quieter aspects of the game: killing penalties, taking crucial draws, and frustrating opponents with sound positioning.

“This is all I’ve done and focused on for the past 30 years,” Nash said. “It’s definitely strange to think that it’s over. With three wonderful young kids and the way my body has behaved over the past few years, it was time to take a step back as an older guy and let others chase their dream the same way I did.”

Nash’s best statistical season came in 2017–18 with the Boston Bruins, when he tallied a career-high 41 points in 76 games. That season, he even spent some time filling in for Patrice Bergeron on the top line, proving his ability to play up and down the lineup as needed. While that level of production wasn’t typical for Nash, the performance showcased his adaptability – something that defined his entire career.

That same season with Boston also saw Nash take a puck to the face late in the year, an injury that required dozens of stitches and kept him out of the lineup briefly. He returned wearing a protective cage and continued playing the same unselfish style. It was the kind of sacrifice that came to define his reputation league-wide.

The Closing Run

Though Nash played only a single NHL game in the 2023–24 season with the Rangers, he stayed active with their AHL affiliate in Hartford. He had signed a two-year deal with New York in 2023 and served as a veteran presence for the younger players in the organization.

By the time the 2024–25 season rolled around, however, Nash found himself off the ice and focusing on recovery from knee issues that had nagged him for years.

In many ways, the time away from the game helped him come to terms with retirement. His former teams and teammates have responded with messages of appreciation and respect. While Nash never lifted the Stanley Cup, he was often called upon during playoff pushes and tight games when details mattered most. Coaches trusted him to hold leads, stabilize young lines, and lead by example.