The Tampa Bay Lightning just wrapped up the 2021 Stanley Cup in five games, dealing with the Montreal Canadiens without a lot of trouble. The Canadiens were able to take Game 4 at home in overtime, but all that meant was that the Lightning were able to win the Cup in front of their home fans in Florida. The league adds a 32nd team this coming season as the Seattle Kraken join the NHL, and after the league’s expansion draft yesterday, let’s take a look at the updated sports betting odds for each team.
We’ll also take a closer look at the Kraken’s NHL odds for the draft choices and how the team looks set for its initial season.
NHL News: Way too Early Stanley Cup Odds for 2022
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Colorado Avalanche | +600 |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | +700 |
| Vegas Golden Knights | +850 |
| Carolina Hurricanes, Boston Bruins | +1200 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | +1400 |
| New York Islanders | +2000 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins, Minnesota Wild, Florida Panthers | +2200 |
| Washington Capitals, New York Rangers, Montreal Canadiens | +2500 |
| Edmonton Oilers | +2800 |
| Philadelphia Flyers | +3000 |
| St. Louis Blues | +3500 |
| Dallas Stars, Calgary Flames, Nashville Predators | +4000 |
| Vancouver Canucks, Seattle Kraken | +5000 |
| Los Angeles Kings, Chicago Blackhawks, Arizona Coyotes | +6000 |
| Columbus Blue Jackets, Anaheim Ducks, San Jose Sharks, New Jersey Devils, Ottawa Senators | +10000 |
| Detroit Red Wings, Buffalo Sabres | +20000 |
The Seattle Kraken front office opted for a conservative, salary cap-friendly approach in their draft. That meant that even though the Montreal Canadiens left goalie Carey Price unprotected, and Vladimir Tarasenko was also available, the Kraken stayed away from both of them. Of course, Price is dealing with knee and hip injuries and might not be available to start the season anyway, but a big splash to get an exciting face for the franchise might not have been a bad way to start. Defenseman Mark Giordano and forward Jordan Eberle were two of Seattle’s best picks.
The last NHL expansion team, the Vegas Golden Knights, made history by going to the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural season. The last time a team had done that was 1970, when the entire West Division was made of expansion teams, and St. Louis made it to the final. It’s unlikely that Seattle will follow up Vegas’ accomplishment, but the Golden Knights’ inaugural roster did not excite observers either.
From top to bottom, the Kraken roster is a no-name group devoid of superstars. In fact, several of the players have only minimal experience in the NHL. The defense will be the better unit, led by Giordano and Adam Larsson. Will Borgen, Cale Fleury and Haydn Fleury are exciting young players on the team. Goalie Chris Driedger played extremely well for the Panthers last season and sits at +2500 in the odds to win the Vezina Trophy (given to the league’s top toalie). Vitek Vanecek should be a solid backup goalie after a terrific rookie campaign with the Washington Capitals.
Seattle benefits from joining the Pacific Division, one of the weaker in the league as the NHL returns to its conventional alignment. The other teams in that division are Anaheim, Calgary, Edmonton, Los Angeles, San Jose, Vancouver and Vegas. Of those teams, only Vegas and Edmonton are considered real contenders for the Cup.
So, if you are thinking about wagering on the Kraken in their first season, think about betting on them to make the postseason. Thanks to a weak division, combined with solid goaltending and defense, they could make the 16-team bracket. Those odds haven’t been released yet, but as we approach the start of the regular season, that could be a profitable wager.
Stanley Cup Betting Odds
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