NHL Odds, Preview, Prediction: Panthers vs Jets (Saturday, October 14)

Panthers vs Jets Odds

Last year's run to the Cup Final came at a cost for the Florida Panthers, who begin the season without top defenders Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour.

Despite those meaningful absences, they did play well in their season opener in Minnesota but did not convert on a number of high-quality looks en route to a 2-0 defeat.

Winnipeg suffered a similar fate on the road in Calgary. It held far more of the play overall, outshooting the Flames 34-21, but the Jets suffered a tough loss on Elias Lindholm's late winner.

Last season, the Jets owned a distinct home-ice advantage and played to a mark of 26-13-2 at Canada Life Centre. Winnipeg will look to build upon that with their home opener with Panthers vs Jets Saturday night.

GM Bill Zito and the rest of the Panthers management staff did a quality job of remodeling the team on the fly and allowing it a chance to return to the playoffs.

The idea that the Panthers did have a strong offseason might not be well-illustrated in the early going of the season; they could start slowly with Ekblad and Montour each on the shelf due to injury.

They also skated without regular second-line center Sam Bennett in the season opener. Bennett, who suffered a lower-body injury, will miss at least the next two games.

The addition of defender Oliver Ekman Larsson was designed to help tread water in the meantime as Ekblad and Montour recover. He is an established NHLer who has eaten big minutes historically, but he struggled badly at times in Vancouver.

While Larsson did have a strong preseason, it still seems a big ask to expect him to perform at an average level in top-pair minutes, where he is currently being used.

The same can be said for veteran defender Dmitry Kulikov, who skated nearly 20 minutes in the season opener on the second pairing.

Neither are comparable fill-ins for Montour and Ekblad, and the defensive core of the Panthers is a concern for the time being.

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Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov are top talents who can carry their respective lines to strong results versus the league's best upfront.

The offseason acquisition of Evan Rodrigues effectively bolsters what was already a strong supporting cast, and there is plenty of upside among the offensive core once again.

Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky's incredible playoff run was one for the ages. His dominant play was the key factor in the Panthers' trio of upsets en route to the cup final.

Bobrovsky put up a +16.3 GSAx in just 19 games with a .915 save percentage, and he helped hide what was at best middling defensive play.

The level of play Bobrovsky displays early on this season makes for an interesting talking point and will go a long way in deciding the fortunes of the Panthers. It was only a year ago that his $10 million cap hit was viewed as among the worst large contracts in the league, and his return to dominance was somewhat out of the blue.

Winnipeg shook up its offensive core with a blockbuster trade this summer, dealing Pierre Luc Dubois to Los Angeles. Jets fans had to like the return as it netted Gabriel Vilardi, Alex Iafallo, Rasmus Kapari and a second-round draft pick.

Gabriel Vilardi and Alex Iafallo are both quality NHL skaters who can be used in a number of roles and offer strong two-way play. They both showed well in the season opener. Rasmus Kapari was also in the lineup in the opener and offered some strong moments centering the fourth line.

If Cole Perfetti can effectively center the Jets' second line and help cover up the Dubois loss, Winnipeg could potentially end up with a significant deeper forward group this season as each of Vilardi, Iafallo, and Kupari could make a difference.

The Jets' defensive core remains a weakness relative to true cup contenders but still offers six serviceable NHLers. It might not be a strength, but it should not necessarily lose them any games and will be supported by a number of strong defensive forwards up front.

Connor Hellebuyck has been one of the NHL's most consistently dominant goaltenders and was rewarded with a seven-year, $59.5 million deal this offseason. He played to a +30.8 GSAx rating and .920 save percentage last season.

It's a safe bet to say he will get the start in the home opener.

At the time of writing, Winnipeg is only a -120 favorite to win this contest.

That is not a sharp number considering the current lineups and this spot. That price overrates Florida's chances of stealing a tough road win versus what could be an improved Winnipeg roster.

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The losses of Ekblad and Montour are significant for the Panthers on the backend. Without them in the mix, the Jets hold a superior, well-balanced roster.

Winnipeg had a number of depth forwards who looked dangerous in its opener. Quality depth up front could certainly make a difference here.

The number to back Winnipeg will likely move here overnight as this seems to be a soft opener. The Jets deserve to be -140 in this matchup, and I think they get close to that by puck-drop.

Back the Jets to claim their first two points of the season Saturday.

Pick: Jets (-120 at DraftKings)