With fewer than 25 games remaining in the NHL regular season, oddsmakers don’t have a clear-cut favorite to win the 2020 Stanley Cup. They’ve narrowed down the NHL championship race to a lead pack of five teams that include the Boston Bruins, Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals, Colorado Avalanche, and the defending champion St Louis Blues. The Bruins (35-11-12) have the best record in the NHL with 82 points, and they’re 8/1 odds to win the Stanley Cup, according to the latest update by William Hill.
The Washington Capitals and Tampa Bay Lightning are also 8/1 odds as co-favorites to win the 2020 Stanley Cup.
The Lightning had the best record in the NHL last season with 62 wins, but were upset in the opening round of the playoffs. The Caps have the best player in the league with Alex Ovechkin, who would love to add another championship to his resume.
2020 Stanley Cup Odds – Top 5
Tampa Bay Lightning 8/1
Boston Bruins 8/1
Washington Capitals 8/1
St Louis Blues 9/1
Colorado Avalanche 9/1
The two best teams in the Western Conference, the Colorado Avalanche and St Louis Blues, are right behind with 9/1 odds to win the Stanley Cup.
The young and exciting Avalanche (33-16-6) are seeking their first Stanley Cup Finals berth while chasing down the Blues (32-15-9) for the #1 seed in the West.
The defending champion Blues are seeking back-to-back NHL championships. Only two teams have repeated as Stanley Cup champs in the last 25 years. The Detroit Red Wings won back-to-back Cups in 1997 and 1998, while the Pittsburgh Penguins repeated in 2016 and 2017.
Betas in the Second Tier
With five of the top teams jockeying for a Stanley Cup Finals run, there’s a six-pack of good teams lumped together. They’re not quite the same caliber as the best teams in the league, but fans are hoping their teams can make a run in the playoffs. As the saying goes, every team is a hot goalie away from a deep run in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
The Pittsburgh Penguins (24-15-6) would be getting a lot more love if the Capitals (77 points) weren’t destroying everyone in their path. The Penguins have Sidney Crosby back in the lineup after he missed a couple of months with a groin injury.
Stanley Cup Odds – Tier 2
Pittsburgh Penguins 12/1
Vegas Golden Knights 13/1
Dallas Stars 14/1
New York Islanders 15/1
Toronto Maple Leafs 15/1
Carolina Hurricanes 16/1
The Vegas Golden Knights are a hot mess like Britney Spears in 2004. The Knights are 4-7-2 in their last unlucky 13 games, which also included the abrupt firing of Gerard Gallant.
Barry Trotz and the New York Islanders (33-16-6) jumped out to a hot start with a 16-3-1 clip before they hit the skids. The streaky Islanders are 8-6-3 since the start of the new year.
Third Tier: Longshots and Bubble Teams
The Vancouver Canucks are a division leader with 69 points, yet they’re the 12th-highest favorite on the futures board. The Canucks are 21/1 odds. Depending on who you root for, that number is either offering solid value, or it’s fools gold.
The Edmonton Oilers have the top two scorers in the NHL with Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid. However, the Oilers lost McDavid with a quad injury for two to three weeks.
Stanley Cup Odds – Tier 3
Vancouver Canucks 21/1
Florida Panthers 21/1
Arizona Coyotes 22/1
Edmonton Oilers 25/1
Calgary Flames 25/1
Columbus Blue Jackets 25/1
Nashville Predators 26/1
Winnipeg Jets 28/1
Philadelphia Flyers 28/1
The Philadelphia Flyers (31-19-7) and Columbus Blue Jackets (30-17-10) are currently in the two wild-card spots in the Eastern Conference. The Blue Jackets didn’t secure a playoff spot until the last week of the season last year, but then they upset the Tampa Bay Lightning by sweeping them in the opening round.
Oh, Canada Not Again
We’ve harped on it many times before, but a team from Canada hasn’t won the Stanley Cup since 1993. Things don’t look any better this season.
What’s it say for Canada when their best team might bubble the playoffs? The Eastern Conference playoff race is super tight. The Toronto Maple Leafs (30-19-8) had been chasing the #8 seed for most of the season. The Leafs are currently occupying the #8 seed, but both the Florida Panthers (30-20-6) and Carolina Hurricanes (32-21-3) are fighting on the east playoff bubble.
Canada’s Stanley Cup Odds
Toronto Maple Leafs 15/1
Vancouver Canucks 21/1
Edmonton Oilers 25/1
Calgary Flames 25/1
Winnipeg Jets 28/1
Montreal Canadiens 60/1
Ottawa Senators 250/1
Out in the Western Conference, three Canadian teams are currently in the playoff seedings, with another on the bubble.
The Vancouver Canucks (32-21-5) lead the Pacific Division, yet only hold a slim 3-point edge over the second-place Edmonton Oilers (30-20-6). The Oilers losing McDavid with a quad injury couldn’t have happened at a worse time. They’re vulnerable and can’t wait for McDavid to return as the playoff race heats up.
The Calgary Flames (29-23-6) are in a three-way tie with the Vegas Golden Knights (28-22-6) and Arizona Coyotes (28-23-8) for third place in the Pacific Conference.
Meanwhile in the Central Conference, the Winnipeg Jets (29-24-5) are in fourth place while the defending champion St. Louis Blues are battling the Colorado Avalanche for the division crown. With 63 points, the Jets are currently on the playoff bubble, and one point short of a postseason spot.