The Washington Capitals were busy at the opening of free agency last week, bringing in six new players for next season, including right winger Connor Brown and center Dylan Strome. As a result, Vegas has seen enough change with the Capitals roster to improve their odds to win the Stanley Cup next season.
The Capitals are now at +3500 to win the Stanley Cup, up from the opening odds of +4500 released in June. However, the Capitals remain at 16th best odds to win the Cup, same as the opening odds (here).
The New York Rangers improved from +2000 to +1600 as a result of free agency. The Carolina Hurricanes improved from +1100 to +1000 following free agency. The Penguins also improved from +2000 to +1800, but the Columbus Blue Jackets odds remained the same, +7500, even with the addition of Johnny “Hockey” Gaudreau.
The Philadelphia Flyers improved from +7000 to +6000. The New York Islanders, who did very little to improve their team, also improved slightly, from +3500 to +3000, still better than the Capitals. The Devils improved from +7000 to +6500 after free agency (Vitek Vanecek?).
By Jon Sorensen