Rocket Richard Trophy Odds 2026: Matthews, Draisaitl the Early Favorites

Auston Matthews is the early Rocket Richard Trophy odds favorite, while Leon Draisaitl is right on his heels after scoring the most goals (52) last season.

Gary Pearson

Last Updated: July 16, 2025 3:13 AM EDT • 5 minute read

Rocket Richard Trophy Odds 2026: Matthews, Draisaitl the Clear Front-Runners — Pictured: Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews looks on after scoring against the Florida Panthers as we profile the Rocket Richard Trophy Odds 2026. Photo by Sam Navarro via Imagn Images

Auston Matthews is the Rocket Richard Trophy odds favorite across our best sports betting sites despite struggling to light the lamp last season while looking down the barrel of playing without a certain sidekick for the first time.

His Robin has taken off for Sin City, hunting for more thrills and, quite possibly, a Stanley Cup. Without Mitch Marner, is it worth putting your hard-earned money behind the Toronto Maple Leafs captain?

Probably.

Without Marner, he will be the go-to guy, which should inspire him to get back to his prolific goal-scoring ways. There is doubt, though, and until we see him play without Marner, you should probably hold off.

But what about last year's winner and David Pastrnak, who scored four more goals than anyone in the second half of last season?

🏆 Rocket Richard Trophy odds 2026

Rocket Richard Trophy odds via our best sports betting apps.

🏒 Rocket Richard 2026 prediction & best bet

Pictured: Leon Draisaitl reacts after scoring against the Florida Panthers as we profile the Rocket Richard Trophy Odds 2026. Photo by Walter Tychnowicz via Imagn Images

Leon Draisaitl: +340 via BetMGM

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I'm sticking with Draisaitl, who for most of the season was in pole position in the Hart Trophy odds race until injury trouble took him out of contention.

If you will, a quick process of elimination. Too much uncertainty surrounds Matthews, while Pastrnak lacks the supporting cast to keep up with Draisaitl, fed by the world's best player.

Speaking of the world's best, Connor McDavid is a pass-first kind of guy these days. That leaves Kirill Kaprizov, William Nylander, and Nathan MacKinnon among the favorites.

It would be a wild feat if the Dream obtained his goal-scoring dream playing for the Minnesota Wild. I feel like Nylander peaked last season. MacKinnon, though, offers a viable pick. He's always one of the shot leaders and should get more puck luck this season.

Still, I'm banking on Draisaitl ripping it up once again. And remember, he wrapped up last season's Rocket Richard Trophy race at about the same time as Connor Hellebuyck all but clinched the Vezina, not long after Santa cleaned everyone's non-existent chimneys.

How to bet on Rocket Richard Trophy futures

There are a few critical areas to pay close attention to before locking in your Rocket Richard futures pick.

The first thing to do is sign up for one of our best sports betting apps. After doing so, navigate to the NHL section and select "futures" or "Awards," where you'll find various markets and betting odds.

Our best sportsbooks include: FanDuel, DraftKings, Caesars, BetMGM, bet365, and more.

Rocket Richard Trophy opening odds

Opening odds via FanDuel.

Auston Matthews: -115
David Pastrnak: +550
Leon Draisaitl: +750
Kirill Kaprizov: +750
Connor McDavid: +1000
Filip Forsberg: +1200
Nathan MacKinnon: +1500
Brayden Point: +2000
Zach Hyman: +2000
Jack Hughes: +3000
Mikko Rantanen: +3000
Nikita Kucherov: +3000
Brady Tkachuk: +3000

Rocket Richard Trophy past winners

Year	Player	Team	Preseason odds
2024-25	Leon Draisaitl	Edmonton Oilers	+750
2023-24	Auston Matthews	Toronto Maple Leafs	+300
2022-23	Connor McDavid	Edmonton Oilers	+1200
2021-22	Auston Matthews	Toronto Maple Leafs	+350
2020-21	Auston Matthews	Toronto Maple Leafs	+450
2019-20 (tie)	David Pastrnak	Boston Bruins	+1600
2019-20 (tie)	Alex Ovechkin	Washington Capitals	+550
2018-19	Alex Ovechkin	Washington Capitals	+650
2017-18	Alex Ovechkin	Washington Capitals	+500
2016-17	Sidney Crosby	Pittsburgh Penguins	+1400
2015-16	Alex Ovechkin	Washington Capitals	+250
2014-15	Alex Ovechkin	Washington Capitals	+300

NHL betting odds pages

Stanley Cup Odds	Calder Trophy Odds	NHL Draft Odds
Conn Smythe Trophy Odds	Norris Trophy Odds
Hart Trophy Odds	Jack Adams Award Odds
Vezina Trophy Odds	Rocket Richard Odds

Rocket Richard Trophy FAQs

Who is the 2026 Rocket Richard Trophy favorite?

Auston Matthews is the favorite, trading at +320. Those odds imply a 23.81% win probability.

Who won the last season's Rocket Richard Trophy?

Leon Draisaitl won the last season's Rocket Richard Trophy. He was trading at -1600 in the final week of the season before the market closed.

When will the Rocket Richard Trophy be decided?

The 2024-25 regular season ended on Thursday, April 17, which was when Draisaitl was anointed the NHL's top goalscorer. The Rocket Richard is awarded to the player who has the most regular-season goals. Draisaitl finished with 52 goals.

Who has won the most Rocket Richard Trophies?

Alexander Ovechkin has won nine Rocket Richard Trophies, the most of any player.

Which active player has won the most Rocket Richard Trophies?

Oveckin has nine Rocket Richard Trophies, while Matthews has three.

Who won the most consecutive Rocket Richard Trophies?

Ovechkin won the award four times in a row from 2013 to 2016.

Why was it named the Rocket Richard Trophy?

The trophy is named after former Montreal Canadiens superstar Maurice “Rocket” Richard, the first player to score 50 goals in a season and the first to reach the 500-goal plateau.

When was the first Rocket Richard Trophy awarded?

The first Rocket Richard Trophy was handed out in 1999.

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Written by:
Gary Pearson

Gary Pearson has written professionally since 2010, focusing on sports betting since 2014. Before entering the sports betting space, he contributed to the Canadian Press, FanSided, the Hockey Writers, the Calgary Herald, and other publications. His work has also been featured in Sports Illustrated and Bleacher Report. Gary, who consumes sports like a blue whale devours plankton, has a penchant for writing predictions and analyses across several sports, including hockey, soccer, football, tennis, and more. He bets regularly, preferring single-game picks, props, and live betting. While there isn't a sport he has yet to dabble in, Gary prefers betting on soccer, hockey, and football. He studied at various post-secondary institutions, including the University of Calgary, SAIT Polytechnic, and Griffith University, located in Brisbane, Australia. Gary has a marketing degree and completed his bachelor's degree in journalism at Griffith University. He feels strongly that life experience is as essential as post-secondary education, helping formulate more accurate predictions and analyses. Gary believes that competing at a high level of amateur sports during his formative years helped him better understand an athlete's psyche and the nuances and complexities of a team's dynamic, both on and off the playing surface. He feels that knowledge is immeasurably important when offering his analytical expertise. He has lived on five continents and currently resides in Canada.