2025-26 Rocket Richard Trophy Odds: Auston Matthews slim favourite over Leon Draisaitl

Puck drop for the opening night of the 2025-26 NHL season is less than a week away and we’re diving back into the futures market.

Today I’m look at the Rocket Richard Trophy odds, which see Toronto’s Auston Matthews as a slight favourite over Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl to lead the league in goals this season.

Let’s get into it.

Make sure to check out Sports Interaction’s complete list of NHL game odds, NHL futures and NHL specials and props.

Rocket Richard Trophy favourite: Auston Matthews

Toronto superstar Auston Matthews is a slim +325 favourite to win his fourth career Rocket Richard Trophy. He previously won the award in 2020-21 with 41 goals, 2021-22 with 60 and 2023-24 with a career-high 69 tucks.

Health is the biggest factor when it comes to Matthews. He was limited to 67 games last season (33 goals) because of a mystery injury that he may or may not still be dealing with, and he hasn’t played a full 82-game season since his rookie year in 2016-17.

While Matthews has had great bounce-back campaigns in the past, his injury history is way too big of a factor to make him a safe Rocket Richard pick.

Rocket Richard Trophy value pick: Leon Draisaitl

Leon Draisaitl won his first Rocket Richard Trophy last season with 52 goals. It was his fourth career 50-goal season and his fourth straight 40-goal season. He enters this season with the second-shortest Rocket Richard odds at +340.

Like Matthews in Toronto, health will be key for Draisaitl to repeat as the Rocket winner this year. His 52 goals in 71 games last year was actually a 60-goal pace over a full regular season, which would have been 15 more goals than the next closest player.

I’m not sold on Draisaitl repeating. Connor McDavid has already said he wants to score more goals this season and the two are starting the year on the same line. Draisaitl and McDavid won’t play together all year, but more goals for McDavid could translate to a few less goals for Draisaitl.

Rocket Richard Trophy dark horse: David Pastrnak

Bruins sniper David Pastrnak offers tremendous value at +1300 to win the Rocket. He shared the award with Alex Ovechkin in 2019-20 after a 48-goal campaign and he has five 40-goal seasons under his belt.

Pastrnak is great in this spot because of his health. He hasn’t missed a game in three full seasons and he’s scored 40+ goals in each of the last four seasons, including a carer-high 61 in 2022-23.

Boston won’t be a great team this year and with Brad Marchand enjoying the tax free life in Florida, the brunt of the offence will have to come for Pastrnak. I smell a career-season on the horizon for Pasta.

Last 10 Rocket Richard Trophy winners

Alex Ovechkin, the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer, has won the Rocket Richard Trophy nine times, but he hasn’t taken home the hardware since 2019-20.

Auston Matthews is the latest player to dominate the award, winning the Rocket in three of the last five years.

Ovechkin and Matthews are two of seven players to win the Rocket multiple times since the award was introduced in 1998-99. Pavel Bure, Sidney Crosby, Jarome Iginla and Steven Stamkos have each won the Rocket twice.