Stanley Cup Odds: Breaking Down the Favorites Heading into the Playoffs
Stanley Cup Odds: Breaking Down the Favorites Heading into the Playoffs
In the Eastern Conference, we know all eight teams who will be participating in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Out of the Metropolitan Division, Carolina, the New York Rangers, Pittsburgh, and Washington have clinched already with Florida, Toronto, Tampa Bay, and Boston clinching in the Athletic.
The Western Conference is much more up in the air. Colorado, Minnesota, St. Louis, Calgary, and Edmonton have all clinched. Dallas, Los Angeles, and Vegas are fighting for the remaining spots in the West. With all of that in mind, let's look at the Stanley Cup odds heading into the final week of the NHL season.
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Stanley Cup Odds
| Team | Odds | Implied Chance |
|---|---|---|
| Avalanche | +350 | 22.22% |
| Panthers | +550 | 15.38% |
| Flames | +900 | 10% |
| Lightning | +1100 | 8.33% |
| Maple Leafs | +1100 | 8.33% |
| Hurricanes | +1400 | 6.67% |
| Bruins | +1600 | 5.88% |
| Rangers | +1600 | 5.88% |
| Wild | +2000 | 4.76% |
| Blues | +2200 | 4.35% |
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Colorado Avalanche +350 (+100 to win $350)
Colorado is stacked. They rank second in the league in goals scored and are seventh in goals allowed. This roster features four players in Mikko Rantanen, Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and Nazem Kadri who are above 80+ points with Gabriel Landeskog at over a point per game pace and Devon Toews not too far behind. Plus in net, Darcy Kuemper has been more than adequate with his .923 save percentage and 2.48 goals against average.
They are battling it out with Florida for the President's Trophy but as past history indicates, it may not be in their best interest to finish with the best regular season.
Florida Panthers +550 (Bet $100 to win $550)
Florida's goal is to outscore you. They are first in the NHL with 325 goals and have three players with over 30 goals already and Sam Reinhart and Sam Bennett within striking distance. The biggest question with the Florida Panthers is if they are getting old school Sergei Bobrovsky or not. Sure, their run and gun style is a ton of fun but will it work come playoff time?
That kind of play isn't always sustainable and unless Bobrovsky turns back the clock a few years, I'm unsure if they will be able to win it all. For the record, the last team to win a President's Trophy and a Stanley Cup was the 2013 Chicago Blackhawks.
Calgary Flames +900 (Bet $100 to win $900)
For Calgary, the combination of Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk has been downright phenomenal. They have 100 points or more each and will likely both finish with 40+ goals. What Calgary also has is Jacob Markstrom in net who is having a career year. The 32-year-old netminder has a .922 save percentage with a 2.21 goals against average and nine shutouts to his name on the season. If Markstrom gets hot going into the playoffs, they could be a tough out for any team in the NHL.
Tampa Bay Lightning +1100 (Bet $100 to win $1100)
The Tampa Bay Lightning are attempting to be the first team since the 1980s New York Islanders to win three or more Stanley Cups in a row. You've had a few teams since then win as many as two in a row but three straight is really challenging to do. They lost some key depth in the offseason but still any team with Andrei Vasilevskiy in net and skaters like Steven Stamkos, Victor Hedman, Brayden Point, and Nikita Kucherov is going to be a challenge come playoff time. They have the most experience of the three teams listed above.
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Toronto Maple Leafs +1100 (Bet $100 to win $1100)
Don't bet on the Maple Leafs. Every single year this team just finds ways to lose in the first round. Last year they blew a 3-1 series lead against the Montreal Canadiens, in the bubble the year prior they got shutout in an elimination game, the previous two years were game seven losses to Boston, and then in 2017 they took a first round exit to Washington. You have to go back to 2003-2004 for the last time this team has advanced past the first round. Sure, all good things must come to an end but am I going to be the one to bet on that? Absolutely not.
Their core of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander, and John Tavares is great but beyond that do they have the depth to get it done come playoff time? Like Florida, they can sometimes try to get into the outscore their opponents and don't care how many goals you let in method but in April, May, and June that doesn't tend to get you very far.