The dust is finally settling on the 2021-22 season, as the Colorado Avalanche notch their third Championship in franchise history. The Avalanche opened the 2021-22 season as the favorites to win the cup at +600 moneyline odds. They lead the pack to repeat in 2023 at +500 odds.
The Maple Leafs have the second-best Stanley Cup odds at +900 , while the Lightning have opened at +1000.
Screen cap: Sports Betting Dime
The Capitals are currently 16th at +4,500 odds, down from last season when they opened at +2,500. The drop is most likely due to the injuries to Nicklas Backstrom and Tom Wilson. Again, this is before free agency, which opens on July 13. Look for the Capitals odds to improve over the summer.
While the Avs are favored to repeat, the NHL hasn’t seen different teams win back-to-back championships consecutively since New York and Edmonton in the 1980s.
No Canadian team won the Stanley Cup in 2022, extending Canada’s Stanley Cup drought to an unbelievable 29 years. During that span, Canadian teams have comprised a minimum of 21.88% of the NHL (at least 7 out of 32 teams). For the vast majority of that span, Canadian teams have actually made-up a greater percentage of the league (23.33% of the NHL from 2000 until Vegas joined in 2017).
(Odds courtesy of Sports Betting Dime and Fan Duel)
By Jon Sorensen
Bolts will be interesting. They only have two players needing a new contract and with the cap increase, might not make any changes. Which means that the entire team that ran out of gas in the final will be a year older.
That is a trap that I worry about the Caps falling into. I see Pits and Boston doing the same thing, but I don’t worry about them.
The Capsalready fellinto the pitof keeping players to long as they should have traded some of the older guys on the roster to get prospects and picks since 2018 to avoid being where they are now……strapped in the salary cap area and badly in need of younger talent that can score and have speed! Also need a #1 goalie.
Caps should improve to Pens odds +/- after trades and free agency. Add Miller or Schindler at center, Mikheyev at wing, sign a starting goaltender and a vet d man and boom.
Yes, the Anaheim Coyotes suck
CANES WIN!!!!!!!!