Updated Odds for Top Contenders to Win the 2014-15 NHL Scoring Title

The NHL's 2014-15 season has not been a banner year for superstar scorers.

With less than two weeks remaining in the regular schedule, the league's top scorer, Sidney Crosby, became the first player to crack the 80-point plateau this season with his 26th goal on Wednesday night.

At this rate, the 2014-15 Art Ross Trophy winner could finish with 90 points or less—the lowest non-lockout total since Stan Mikita's 87 points earned him the honor in the 74-game 1967-68 season.

But here's the funny thing—overall, scoring is not down compared to recent seasons. It's just more spread out. Parity is playing a big part in the death of the 100-point scorer.

According to Hockey Reference, teams are averaging 2.74 goals per game so far in 2014-15. That's exactly the same number as in 2013-14 and a shade higher than the two years before that.

It's well above the low point of 2.57 goals per game that we saw in 2003-04, right before the lockout that brought an end to the "Dead Puck Era" and introduced us to two generational scoring stars in Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby.

This year, Crosby and Ovechkin are leading the field once again. Will one of them add another Art Ross to his trophy shelf, or will a new face win the award for the first time?

Back on March 6, Bleacher Report's Steve McFarlane charted the odds for the top contenders to win the scoring title. Here's how things have changed among the league's top 10, with updated projections.

10. Evgeni Malkin: Pittsburgh Penguins

Andrew D. Bernstein/Getty Images

Current Stats: 10th, 65 GP, 28-42-70

Previous Odds: 4-1

How He's Trending: Down

Center Evgeni Malkin has struggled with injuries all season but remained a top contender for his third career NHL scoring title up until mid-March, when he was sidelined for another six games.

He returned for two games on March 28 and 29, adding a pair of assists to his total but wound up back on the injured list on April 1 and is expected to be out for two to four days with a "slight injury," according to head coach Mike Johnston, via Josh Yohe of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

With just five games remaining on the Penguins' regular-season schedule, ever missed day diminishes Malkin's chances of making up a 10-point deficit on teammate and current leader Sidney Crosby.

Updated Odds: 100-1

9. Tyler Seguin: Dallas Stars

Jeff Vinnick/Getty Images

Current Stats: Ninth, 67 GP, 35-35-70

Previous Odds: N/A

How He's Trending: Up

Since returning to the Dallas Stars lineup on March 7 after missing 10 games with a knee injury, center Tyler Seguin has picked up where he left off.

Six goals and five assists in 12 games have pushed him back among the league's top 10 scorers and helped fuel a late-season surge for the Stars.

With five games left on the Dallas schedule, the speedy 23-year-old will run out of time to get back to the top of the goal-scoring or points races, but he's now just two goals away from equaling the 37 goals he scored during his breakout 2013-14 season.

Expect to see Seguin's name in the mix for Art Ross and Rocket Richard trophies for many years to come.

Updated Odds: 60-1

8. Jiri Hudler: Calgary Flames

John Russell/Getty Images

Current Stats: Eighth, 74 GP, 29-42-71

Previous Odds: N/A

How He's Trending: Up

Jiri Hudler led all NHL players with 23 points in 15 games in the month of March, helping the Calgary Flames to a 9-3-3 record that has put them in position to secure their first playoff berth in six seasons.

The 31-year-old Czech has obliterated both his previous career high of 25 goals, scored in 2011-12 with the Detroit Red Wings, and his 54 points last season with Calgary.

The Flames sit just two points ahead of the Los Angeles Kings in the battle for the last playoff spot in the Pacific Division, so Calgary needs to keep its foot on the gas. With five games to go, Hudler could hit the 80-point plateau and be among the league's leaders when regular-season play wraps up on April 11.

Updated Odds: 25-1

7. Vladimir Tarasenko: St. Louis Blues

Jeff Roberson/Associated Press

Current Stats: Seventh, 76 GP, 36-35-71

Previous Odds: 14-1

How He's Trending: Down

After lighting up the NHL back in November with 17 points, including 10 goals—many of them spectacular—23-year-old Vladimir Tarasenko of the St. Louis Blues has been on cruise control ever since. He has stayed close to a point-per-game pace to keep within spitting distance of the Art Ross leaders but hasn't made up any ground.

Of greater concern to Blues fans, Tarasenko suffered a lower-body injury during Monday's 4-1 loss to the Vancouver Canucks. He's ruled out for St. Louis' Thursday contest against the Calgary Flames and currently listed as day-to-day, according to Louie Korac at NHL.com.

At this point, Tarasenko may need to be satisfied with the results he has already accomplished in his breakout season and look toward getting himself healthy to help the Blues in the playoffs.

Updated Odds: 80-1

6. Nicklas Backstrom: Washington Capitals

Patrick McDermott/Getty Images

Current Stats: Sixth, 77 GP, 18-55-73

Previous Odds: 10-1

How He's Trending: Down

Though he's the setup man for top goal-scorer Alex Ovechkin on the Washington Capitals, Nicklas Backstrom has not been able to keep pace with his linemate's late-season surge.

Backstrom's nine points in 14 March games marked the lowest-producing month of his season to date. Even if he manages to make an offensive push during his team's last five games, it's highly unlikely that he'd be able to put up big points without also padding Ovechkin's point totals.

He might be able to move up, but he won't pass his teammate, who is sitting four points ahead.

Updated Odds: 50-1

5. Jamie Benn: Dallas Stars

Glenn James/Getty Images

Current Stats: Fifth, 77 GP, 28-46-74

Previous Odds: 25-1

How He's Trending: Up

With 42 points in 41 games since the beginning of 2015, captain Jamie Benn has been a model of offensive consistency for the Dallas Stars—even during the 10 games when his partner-in-crime Tyler Seguin was sidelined with a knee injury.

Benn is now five points off his career-best 79 points that helped propel the Stars into the playoffs last season. He should hit that mark and could move up a couple of more notches in the scoring race if he continues his strong play right till the end of the season.

Updated Odds: 15-1

4. Jakub Voracek: Philadelphia Flyers

Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

Current Stats: Fourth, 77 GP, 21-56-77

Previous Odds: 12-1

How He's Trending: Steady

With an assist on Wednesday night against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Jakub Voracek moved into a three-way tie for second place in the NHL scoring race, three points behind Sidney Crosby. His 56 assists are tops in the league.

Voracek got off to a hot start this season and led the way in the Art Ross race for much of the year. He fell off the pace during a slow month of February, where he posted just seven points in 12 games.

The Philadelphia Flyers are well out of playoff contention, so they don't have much to play for in their final five games. Voracek will need to motivate himself from within if he hopes to make a push to cap off his best season to date with his first Art Ross Trophy.

Updated Odds: 8-1

3. John Tavares: New York Islanders

Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Current Stats: Third, 77 GP, 34-43-77

Previous Odds: 9-1

How He's Trending: Steady

On March 6, Steve MacFarlane called New York Islanders' captain John Tavares "a model of consistency," pointing out that he hadn't been held scoreless for more than two consecutive games all season.

Just days later, that streak was broken when Tavares went pointless in four straight games from March 10-14. That was part of an eight-game span where he earned just one goal and one assist.

Tavares did collect three assists in the Islanders' most recent game against the Detroit Red Wings on March 29. He still sits just three points behind Sidney Crosby for the scoring lead, tied with Voracek and Alex Ovechkin.

After slipping in March with a record of just 4-6-3, the Islanders are now in a dogfight with Pittsburgh and Washington for playoff positioning. Just one point separates the three teams for second and third place in the Metropolitan Division and the first Eastern Conference wild card.

If the Islanders hope to finish strong and set up a successful postseason, Tavares will need to lead the way on the scoresheet during his team's final five games. 

Updated Odds: 12-1

2. Alex Ovechkin: Washington Capitals

Nick Wass/Associated Press

Current Stats: Second, 76 GP, 50-27-77

Previous Odds: 8-1

How He's Trending: Up

Once again, Alexander Ovechkin has proved to be the ultimate second-half scorer.

Since the beginning of 2015, The Great 8 has scored 33 goals and 47 points in 40 games, a pace of 1.175 points per game. He has already essentially locked up his fifth Maurice Richard Trophy with 50 goals—10 more than his closest rivals Steven Stamkos and Rick Nash.

Ovechkin's Washington Capitals are currently holding down the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, one point behind the New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins.

With a few more goals in the Caps' final five games, Ovi could not only snag his second Art Ross Trophy but also help the Caps earn home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs after missing the dance last season.

Updated Odds: 5-1

1. Sidney Crosby: Pittsburgh Penguins

Justin K. Aller/Getty Images

Current Stats: First, 72 GP, 26-54-80

Previous Odds: 5-1

How He's Trending: Up

Sidney Crosby is well off the 104-point pace that earned him the Art Ross Trophy last season. The two-time scoring champ has fought through injuries and a case of the mumps this year, but he heads into his team's final five games with a three-point edge on his rivals.

Crosby is finishing strong, with 17 points in the month of March and six points during his current four-game streak.

With teammates Evgeni Malkin sidelined and Kris Letang back on the shelf with a concussion, injuries continue to be an issue for Crosby's Penguins, who have managed just a 4-6-2 record since the second week of March while struggling uncharacteristically to score goals.

Individually, Crosby is peaking at the right time. Expect to see him fend off his challengers and earn his third NHL scoring title after regular-season play wraps up on April 11.

Updated Odds: 3-1

Previous odds quoted from this article by Steve MacFarlane, dated March 6, 2015. Updated odds are the author's own.

Unless otherwise noted, statistics are from NHL.com.