If you’re wondering why we are publishing an article about Stanley Cup odds in the midst of an international shutdown in professional sports due to the spread of the coronavirus, it’s because the NHL is making contingency plans to restart the season — and because you can still include NHL futures in your sports betting. If the season is canceled, you’ll get your bets refunded, so why not take advantage of the opportunity? The NHL has asked its member teams about arena availability all the way through August. Yes, that could lead to some interesting ice quality inside when the temperatures are upward of 90 degrees outside. According to Philadelphia Flyers general manager Chuck Fletcher, teams would need two weeks to have a mini-training camp to get back in game shape, but if matters improve in May or June, the league could be up and running. Obviously, not much has changed in team fortunes since the NHL went on pause on March 12, but here are the latest Stanley Cup odds, along with our thoughts on some of the contenders.
NHL: Stanley Cup Updated Odds — April 3 Edition 2020
Stanley Cup Team Odds
- Tampa Bay Lightning +700
- Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vegas Golden Knights +1000
- Colorado Avalanche +1200
- St. Louis Blues +1400
- Calgary Flames +1500
- San Jose Sharks +1700
- Nashville Predators, Washington Capitals, Winnipeg Jets +1800
- Dallas Stars +2000
- Pittsburgh Penguins +2200
- Florida Panthers +2500
- Carolina Hurricanes, New York Islanders +2800
- Philadelphia Flyers +3000
- Arizona Coyotes, Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets +3500
- Edmonton Oilers, Montreal Canadiens, Vancouver Canucks +4000
- Minnesota Wild +4500
- Buffalo Sabres, New York Rangers +6600
- Anaheim Ducks, New Jersey Devils +7500
- Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings +8000
- Ottawa Senators +30000
Why are the Tampa Bay Lightning still the favorites? They aren’t even leading their division. They did put together a mammoth 11-game winning streak to try and catch Boston in the Atlantic Division, but then they dropped seven of their next ten going into the coronavirus hiatus. They lost captain Steven Stamkos to a season-ending injury, and Victor Hedman went down as well. Even when the Lightning have been at full strength, they have not been able to turn regular-season success into postseason results in years.
The Boston Bruins are a smart pick to win the whole thing. They have the hunger after losing the Stanley Cup Finals on their home ice in Game 7 to St. Louis. They have the scoring, led by David Pastrnak. They have a pair of elite goalies in Tuukka Rask and Jaroslav Halak, and their defensive corps has a solid scheme. Out of a stacked East, the Bruins should advance.
The Philadelphia Flyers are an interesting sleeper. They are in second place in the Metropolitan Division and had won nine of ten going into the pause (with that loss coming to the Bruins). They have speed and scoring ability up front, and they may have their best goalie since Ron Hextall in Carter Hart. This is the sort of young team that could take advantage of the long break and surprise everyone. They’re also offering a ton of value for a second-place team right now.
The Vegas Golden Knights also have a pair of elite goalies in Marc-Andre Fleury and (via trade) Robin Lehner. They are still a team without any stars in their skating ranks, but leader Mark Stone was on the way back from injury, and the team had pulled away from a five-way scrum in the Pacific Division. I overlooked this team in their expansion year, when they rolled all the way to a Stanley Cup Final, and I won’t make that mistake again.
The Dallas Stars look like a solid contender on paper. They have an elite goalie in Ben Bishop, and they have some of the top offensive talent in the league, led by Tyler Seguin. They have a terrific offensive defenseman in John Klingberg. However, they just can’t put consistent play together. They might give you three great games in a tough seven-game series, but they won’t give you more than that. So they could get to the second round, but I don’t see them breaking into the conference finals.
