We are now 17 days into July. Most of the big free agent moves have happened and it is now just a waiting game until the puck drop on the first preseason game of the NHL. But that doesn’t mean we can’t already be thinking about which teams look primed to win the Stanley Cup this coming season. I checked out the 4 NHL sportsbooks I generally use and both Sports Interaction and Bodog have odds up for the 2012-13 NHL Stanley Cup winner. Let’s take a look (I included the odds that get the best return in the list below):
- Pittsburgh Penguins +750
- Vancouver Canucks +1100
- LA Kings +1200
- Chicago Blackhawks +1400
- Detroit Red Wings +1400
- New York Rangers +1400
- St. Louis Blues +1400
- Philadelphia Flyers +1500
- Boston Bruins +1600
- Minnesota Wild +1800
- Nashville Predators +1800
- San Jose Sharks +2000
- Buffalo Sabres +2500
- Washington Capitals +2500
- Tampa Bay Lightning +2500
- Carolina Hurricanes +2800
- New Jersey Devils +2800
- Anaheim Ducks +3300
- Edmonton Oilers +3300
- Toronto Maple Leafs +3500
- Colorado Avalanche +4000
- Dallas Stars +4000
- Florida Panthers +4000
- Montreal Canadiens +4000
- Ottawa Senators +4000
- Phoenix Coyotes +4600
- Calgary Flames +5000
- Winnipeg Jets +5000
- New York Islanders +7500
- Columbus Blue Jackets +12500
Looking at these odds there are a few things that come to mind. I’ll let you know who I kinda like at their current odds, along with who I wouldn’t bet on in a million years. Let’s start with who I don’t like:
Detroit Red Wings @ +1400
This team just lost arguably their best player, Nicklas Lidstrom and they did not replace him. They haven’t gone deep since the Red Wings vs Penguins years and have aging stars in Datsyuk and Zetterberg. This team should be happy with a playoff birth this year and should not be considered in the same class as the Blackhawks or Blues in the West.
Minnesota Wild @ +1800
Sure, Parise and Suter will help this team, but they were by far the worst team in the second half of the season last year and adding two stars won’t fix that. They have a shot at the playoffs this year with these additions, but they need to get a lot more depth at both forward and defense before they are serious contenders.
Anyone @ +3000 or higher
This is with the exception of the Senators and Coyotes who were both not given a chance last year, but rose to the occasion. The other teams though I can’t give much of a chance to. The NHL is a very tight league where anyone can win, but to make the playoffs in an 82 game season and then win 16 playoffs games you need to have a solid team on paper as well.
Now for who I like:
Kings @ +1200
The Kings were simply dominant in the playoffs this year and they have basically the same team heading into next season. They have an amazing team on paper and they showed that when they are firing they can win the Cup. Why not a repeat?
Blackhawks @ +1400
I thought this team was going to win the Cup last year and I still think they have what it takes. If they can land a more capable goaltender who can at least keep up with whoever is at the other end the Blackhawks will field the best team on the ice against anyone in the league.
Bruins @ +1600
It’s surprising to see the Bruins at such high odds. Sure Tim Thomas won’t be playing but Rask is a capable goaltender in his own right and I think he could step up to the plate and have a great season. The team is still pretty much the same from the Cup run two years ago and everyone hates playing the Bruins.
Sharks @ +2000
The Sharks are a better team than they played like last year. I expect a bounce back year and this team to once again be a force to be reckoned with. Maybe with lower expectations we can see a Stanley Cup team that gets over that hump.
So there are my thoughts on the Cup odds so far. Visit SportsInteraction.com or Bodog.eu to see the odds for yourself.
In the meantime the only thing I have to look forward to is betting on the summer Olympics in a few weeks!
Written by: Niko de Jonge
Tagged with: 2012-13 Stanley Cup • Cup Odds