It’s August, folks, and we’re still over a month away from the start of the National Hockey League’s exhibition calendar. But if you’re somebody who’s chomping at the bit for Calgary Flames action to return, the odds listed by folks like our friends at Betway for prop bets can provide a bit of insight into what external expectations look like for the hockey club right now.

The Stanley Cup lines were set shortly after Vegas won the 2023 championship. The Flames opened at +3300 (e.g., 33-to-1, bet $100 to win $3,300), which has them tied with Buffalo for the 14th-best odds for the Cup. By our recollection, these lines haven’t changed since they were originally set, but we imagine they might move around a bit once teams arrive for training camps.

Could the Flames be the Western Conference’s representative in the Stanley Cup Final? Right now they’re +1200 (12-to-1) in the West, behind Colorado, Edmonton, Vegas, Dallas and Los Angeles in that race. The Avalanche are +350 (3.5-to-1) favourites.

Could the Flames win the Pacific Division’s regular season crown for the third time in five seasons? They’re +700 (7-to-1), behind Edmonton, Vegas and Los Angeles in that race. The Oilers are +200 (2-to-1) favourites, just a hair ahead of Vegas at +225 (2.25-to-1).

The eight Western Conference teams that are favoured currently to qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs are, in order (from most favoured to least): Colorado (-1000; e.g., bet $1,000 to win $100), Dallas (-834), Edmonton (-834), Vegas (-715), Los Angeles (-500), Calgary (-200), Minnesota (-200) and Winnipeg (-154). Nashville and Vancouver are the smallest underdogs on the outside of the playoff picture at +140.

The regular season points over/under for the Flames is 95.5. For reference, the Flames had 93 points in 2022-23 and needed 96 points to finish ahead of Winnipeg for the final wild-card spot. For the curious, the points over/unders for the eight projected Western Conference playoff teams are: Colorado (106.5), Edmonton (106.5), Dallas (105.5), Vegas (103.5), Los Angeles (100.5), Calgary (95.5), Minnesota (95.5) and Winnipeg (92.5). (Seattle has an over/under of 95.5, but they don’t currently have playoff odds listed so assume that Calgary, Seattle, Winnipeg and Minnesota are expected to battle for three spots.)

The odds-on favourite for the 2023-24 Hart Trophy is Connor McDavid (+100). If you’re feeling daring, there are odds offered on three Flames to win it: Elias Lindholm and Jonathan Huberdeau each at +25000 (bet $100 to win $25,000) and Nazem Kadri at +30000.

New head coach Ryan Huska is +2800 to win the Jack Adams. (Lindy Ruff is the favourite at +6500.)

Four current Flames have odds offered in the Norris Trophy race. While Cale Makar (+175) is the favourite, there could be value in Rasmus Andersson (+10000), MacKenzie Weegar (+15000), Chris Tanev (+20000) or Noah Hanifin (+30000).

Finally, in the Vezina Trophy conversation, Jacob Markstrom is +3300, oddly enough echoing the overall odds for the Flames to win the Stanley Cup.