The 2021-22 NHL season gave us an incredible playoffs and was capped by the Colorado Avalanche being crowned Stanley Cup champions after they dispatched the two-time defending champ Tampa Bay Lightning in six games.
The Avalanche were amazing in 2022, as evidenced by not just their 56-win regular season, but their slicing through the playoffs and culminating in them stopping the Lightning from pulling off a three-peat.
BUT! Despite the Avs being the best team in the NHL in 2022 and looking the goods again in 2023, it doesn’t exactly promise that they will take out the Cup again in the 2023 season.
With the season starting this weekend – in Europe before heading back to North America – let’s take a look at the Stanley Cup odds before the puck drops.
|
NHL PRE-SEASON ODDS (via BlueBet) |
|
| Team | Odds |
| Colorado Avalanche | $5 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | $9 |
| Florida Panthers | $10 |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | $11 |
| Carolina Hurricanes | $12 |
| Calgary Flames | $14 |
| Edmonton Oilers | $17 |
| Vegas Golden Knights | $17 |
| New York Rangers | $19 |
| Minnesota Wild | $21 |
| St. Louis Blues | $23 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | $23 |
| Washington Capitals | $26 |
| Boston Bruins | $26 |
| Los Angeles Kings | $26 |
| Nashville Predators | $34 |
| New York Islanders | $34 |
| Dallas Stars | $41 |
| Vancouver Canucks | $41 |
| Winnipeg Jets | $51 |
| New Jersey Devils | $51 |
| Detroit Red Wings | $51 |
| Ottawa Senators | $51 |
| Columbus Blue Jackets | $67 |
| Buffalo Sabres | $67 |
| Philadelphia Flyers | $81 |
| Anaheim Ducks | $81 |
| San Jose Sharks | $101 |
| Seattle Kraken | $101 |
| Montreal Canadiens | $101 |
| Chicago Blackhawks | $151 |
| Arizona Coyotes | $501 |
It’s clear that the Avalanche ($5) – who went into last season as favorites, then went HAM in the playoffs, sweeping the Nashville Predators in the opening round, beating the St Louis Blues 4-2 in the Second Round, sweeping the Edmonton Oilers in the Conference Finals before beating the two -time defending champs in the Stanley Cup Finals – remain the apple of the oddsmakers eyes.
For the final time this season… goodnight hockey fans. ❤️ #StanleyCuppic.twitter.com/UGdrLu6Pdb
— NHL (@NHL) June 27, 2022
Heading into the season as defending champs, despite losing Naz Kadri and swapping out goalie Darcy Kuemper for Alexandar Geogiev, the Avalanche look to be the class of the NHL again.
But what about the other contenders?
Behind the Avalanche are the Maple Leafs ($9)who were bounced by Tampa Bay in seven games… and who haven’t gotten out of the First Round since 2004: they’ve lost six straight First Round series, with five of those coming in the past six seasons.
Remarkably, the Maple Leafs are also 0-9 in elimination games in their last five playoff trips. Ouch.
Sure, there was a disallowed John Tavares goal that will cause Maple Leaf fans to cry blue murder in their most recent Game 7, but they’re also still an extremely talented hockey team.
Beyond the Leafs are the Florida Panthers ($10) who were exceptional in the regular season on their way to the best record in the NHL with 58 wins and 122 points, but who were bounced in the Second Round by the Lightning.
The always-formidable aforementioned Tampa Bay ($11) and the Carolina Hurricanes ($12) round out the top five, with the Lightning looking to get back to the top of the NHL mountain and the Hurricanes who are riding a crazy four-year stretch of success, but without once making the Stanley Cup Finals.
Edmonton ($17) have two of the best players in the entire league, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, plus after their run to the conference finals last year, will be ready and raring to go. Also, when you’ve got two all-time level talents, they tend to break through at some point (see Gretzky/Messier, Lemieux/Jagr, Crosby/Malkin).
Also, when you’ve got a guy like McDavid on your team, anything is possible.
15 times Connor McDavid did Connor McDavid things this season. ???? pic.twitter.com/Q0xMBsYQLd
— NHL (@NHL) June 10, 2022
In terms of a couple of undervalued teams: Minnesota ($21) and Boston ($26). There are questions surrounding both (especially the Bruins with a new coach and injuries hampering their chances early on) leaving their odds quite long heading into the season, but both have depth and great balance that could easily see them make deep runs.
Either way: when the puck drops, it will all be left on the ice as to who emerges as the Stanley Cup champ.
THE PICK:
With Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, the Oilers have two generational talents: following their Conference finals trip last year, they should go one further and break through.
— Edmonton Oilers: $17
[All odds as of October 6]
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