Sportsbooks take cautious approach to Golden Knights’ chances

As the Golden Knights limped into the All-Star break at the end of January, sportsbooks bumped them out of the favorite’s spot in the Pacific Division.

The Knights went on to steady the ship and won their third division crown in six seasons. But oddsmakers are still taking a wait-and-see approach for the postseason.

“This season has been a wild ride for them,” Circa sportsbook manager Jeff Davis said. “The overall body of work makes sense, but they’ve done it in a really bizarre way. Edmonton has been the best team in the NHL recordwise and arguably just on all fronts since early January, and they still haven’t passed Vegas because Vegas is finding ways to win games, which is a sign of a good team and a well-coached team.

“I just feel like it’s going to be really tough sledding.”

The Knights are -155 favorites at Circa Sports and the Westgate SuperBook in their Western Conference first-round series against the Winnipeg Jets, which starts Tuesday at T-Mobile Arena.

That’s the shortest price among the division winners in the first round. The Boston Bruins are -300 favorites at the SuperBook over the Florida Panthers, the Colorado Avalanche are -275 over the Seattle Kraken and the Carolina Hurricanes are -210 over the New York Islanders.

The Knights are the 4-1 third choice to win the Western Conference at the SuperBook behind the Avalanche (+280) and Oilers (+280).

“If all of this comes together, right now, you could lump Colorado, Edmonton and the Knights as far as the three teams that look to be the class of the West, at least entering the playoffs,” SuperBook vice president of risk Ed Salmons said.

The biggest question mark surrounding the Knights will be injuries, most notably the status of right wing Mark Stone.

The team’s captain hasn’t played since undergoing back surgery Jan. 31, but he was cleared for contact and practiced in full Saturday and Sunday, an indication he will return for Game 1.

“Obviously if he comes back, that’s a crazy upgrade for the Knights,” Salmons said. “But a back injury is a delicate thing, and I think until you see it, it’s going to take awhile to adjust that number upward.”

Defenseman Zach Whitecloud and winger William Carrier, a 16-goal scorer, also remain sidelined with injuries, though Whitecloud practiced fully Saturday and Sunday.

“I feel like it’s going to be really gray as to who’s coming back and when,” Davis said.

Goaltending also is a question mark for the Knights. Laurent Brossoit will start Game 1 after recording a point in all 10 of his starts during the regular season (7-0-3).

But Brossoit has one playoff appearance in his career, and it’s unclear who coach Bruce Cassidy would turn to should he falter.

“What’s interesting is what would happen if they win a wild one and whoever the goalie is is bad,” Davis said. “Like, it’s 6-5 in the first game. Do they go back to the same guy, or do they switch him? That’s probably the most interesting one.”

Adin Hill hasn’t played since March 7 because of a lower-body injury but could be close to returning after playing 40 minutes for the Silver Knights on April 7 during a conditioning loan.

Logan Thompson had a setback this month in his recovery from lower-body injuries. Jonathan Quick has won two Stanley Cups, but has a 3.13 goals-against average and .901 save percentage in his 10 games with the Knights.

“I would say the only goalie that affects the line is when Quick starts,” Salmons said. “It’s almost like if you just have any goalie that just doesn’t do anything dumb, with all their good defensemen and the way they play, it’s usually just fine.”

Contact David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow @DavidSchoenLVRJ on Twitter.