The NHL’s regular-season starts in less than a week and teams are anxious to get their road to the Stanley Cup underway. There are many questions about each team. Many teams want to redeem themselves from last season and many teams will be hungry. There are some obvious choices but there are some head-scratchers. Where will the 2019 Stanley Cup Champion St. Louis Blues land on this list if at all? Here are the five best odds to win the Stanley Cup in 2019-20.
Five Best Odds To Win The Stanley Cup
Tampa Bay Lightning (+750)
The Tampa Bay Lightning were the best team in the regular season last season. The President Trophy winners felt confident that they could go all the way. That was the feeling throughout the whole hockey world. Of course, it didn’t happen that way. They got swept in the first round by the Columbus Blue Jackets. That was one of the biggest upsets in sports history. This season, they are bringing back almost everyone while adding forward Pat Maroon to add some grit to the team. They still have the reigning Vezina Trophy winner Andrei Vasilevskiy and the MVP Nikita Kucherov. The Lightning have a huge chip on their shoulders this season. The Lightning will be more dangerous than ever and are a clear cut favorite to win the cup.
Toronto Maple Leafs (+900)
Is it a surprise that the Toronto Maple Leafs have the second-best odds to win? Maybe but they are a young and talented group of guys. They locked up their stars for years to come and they want to prove why they are worth it. The Maple Leafs have a lot of depth in their lineup. John Tavares and Auston Matthews are the one and two centers on the team. To have them both on separate lines will give teams nightmares. The Maple Leafs have not won the cup in over 50 years so not only do the fans want it but the team wants it for their city.
Vegas Golden Knights (+1000)
In their inaugural season, the Vegas Golden Knights made it to the Stanley Cup Finals. They were ready to make more history but fell short against the Washington Capitals. Last season, they fell in the first round to the San Jose Sharks in a heart-breaking way. Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury has won multiple titles with the Pittsburgh Penguins and would love to win the cup with the most recent expansion team. He wants to prove that he is not done performing at a high level. The Golden Knights inked arguably one of if not their best player William Karlsson to an eight-year contract extension. He is a huge part of the team moving forward. The Golden Knights are not going anywhere anytime soon.
Boston Bruins (+1100)
The Boston Bruins are always in the conversation to win the Stanley Cup. They made it to the Stanley Cup Finals last year only to lose in seven games to the Blues. With goalie Tuukka Rask between the pipes and their key pieces returning, don’t be surprised if the Bruins return to the final. After losing game seven at home for the cup, they will be on a mission to fix their mistakes.
Colorado Avalanche (+1300)
It might be a bit surprising to see the Colorado Avalanche in the top five best odds to win the Stanley Cup but if you look at the roster and what they did last year then maybe not. Would you put them above teams like the Blues, Stars, Capitals, etc? Probably not but the Avalanche are for real and they are on the rise. Star Nathan MacKinnon looks to be improving every year. He is young and very skilled. If they get Mikko Rantanen back, they will be even more dangerous. The defensemen are a strong suit for the Avalanche led by young star Cale Makar. It will be interesting to see how this team improves and works together to make a deep run.
Teams With the Next Best Odds
St. Louis Blues (+1500)
Florida Panthers, Dallas Stars (+1700)
Nashville Predators, San Jose Sharks (+1800)
Washington Capitals, Calgary Flames (+2000)
Winnipeg Jets (+2200)
Pittsburgh Penguins (2400)
Last Thoughts
There are a lot of questions on this list. A big one is how the Stanley Cup Champion Blues aren’t on it? They brought back everyone but one player and they have the depth and determination it takes. Why is the Avalanche in the top five instead of the bigger teams? As we know teams still have to play games so lists like these mean nearly nothing but it is fun to look forward to the season and see which teams might climb to the top. The hockey world is more than excited to get this season underway. All teams have the same goal, to win the Stanley Cup.
Main Photo: Embed from Getty Images
