Odds To Win the Eastern Conference
Toronto Maple Leafs +400 (4 to1)
Tampa Bay Lightning +450 ( 4.5 to 1)
Boston Bruins +600 (6 to 1)
Pittsburgh Pens +625 (6.25 to 1)
Washington Capitals +675 (6.75 to 1)
Odds To Win the Western Conference
Nashville Predators +600 (5.75 to 1)
Winnipeg Jets +600 ( 5.75 to 1)
Las Vegas Golden Knights +600 (6 to 1)
San Jose Sharks +1000 (10 to 1)
Los Angeles Kings +12250 (11.5 to 1)
The led the way as the odds-on favorites to win both the Eastern Conference and the Stanley Cup. But that crown now belongs to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Since picking up John Tavares in a 7-year deal to the tune of $77 million, the Maple Leafs have jumped out to be the front-runners projected to win the conference and the cup. But this isn’t the only signing to affect the odds. Since the free agency extravaganza, there have been a couple of key shifts on the NHL odds-boards.
The Islanders fell all the way to 80-1 immediately after the loss of John Tavares and have since plummeted further to 100-1 to win the Cup. The Winnipeg Jets were at 10-1 but the loss of center, Paul Stastny caused them to fall to 14-1. But are climbing and now at +600 to win the conference (still down from +450).
The Caps are the defending champs, so one would think that keeping the bulk of their corps intact, they would have opened with better odds than 14-1. It is a small consolation that after they resigned John Carlson, Devante Smith-Pelly, and Michal Kempny they almost immediately moved up to 12-1. And now the Washington Capitals are sitting at 11-1, probably thanks to signing Brett Connolly and filling their consistency gap at Right Wing.
You would also think that the Golden Knights of Las Vegas would be getting a bit more love. But even after acquiring Paul Stastny at what amounts to be the 3rd highest yearly salary, the Vegas Knights have fallen from +800 to +1100, and it doesn’t make much sense. Sure, they lost David Perron to the Blues and Right Winger, James Neal to the Calgary Flames. But they locked in Ryan Reaves at Right Wing and replaced Luca Sbisa with Nick Holden. Plus they have a fantastic corps of young guys that are ready to step in. The best I can come up with is that Las Vegas [the casino and sports betting industry] thinks the Golden Knights’ amazing 1st-year run was a fluke and that any shake-up to team dynamics will severely impact their chances. Which, to a certain extent, I can agree with. The way a team comes together and feeds off of each other is incredibly significant, even if it is intangible. I don’t think the Knights are a fluke though and despite their drop on the odds-boards throughout their offseason moves, I believe we will see them in the playoffs again in 2019.
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