Odds to Win the 2011-2012 Stanley Cup
Now that football season is in full swing, it means that the start of the National Hockey League season isn't too far behind. Teams have started to report to training camp and preseason games will get started on Sept. 19 with the regular season beginning on Oct. 6.Naturally the big question entering the season rests on Sidney Crosby and when he will return following concussion problems that caused him to miss the second half of last season, but there are plenty of other questions that hockey fans are looking forward to seeing settled, such as how will Roberto Luongo and Vancouver bounce back? Is this the year the Washington Capitals show up in the playoffs? And there are plenty of others.
With that said, let's look at the odds to win the upcoming Stanley Cup. You will notice that I've done things a bit different here than in the past, as there are two prices next to each team. You have heard me preach about shopping at different sportsbooks in order to find the best value so I will show the odds from Bodog, followed by the odds from Sportsbook, just so you can see how much they can differ on the same team.
All numbers are posted with the money line so it will help if you are familar with the concept.
Odds to Win the 2011-2012 Stanley Cup
Anaheim Ducks +2500, +3000Boston Bruins +1000, +800
Buffalo Sabres +1800, +1200
Calgary Flames +4000, +4000
Carolina Hurricanes +4500, +4000
Chicago Blackhawks +1200, +1200
Colorado Avalanche +6500, +7500
Columbus Blue Jackets +7500, +5000
Dallas Stars +4000, +5000
Detroit Red Wings +1200, +1000
Edmonton Oilers +6500, +6000
Florida Panthers +7500, +7500
Los Angeles Kings +1400, +1000
Minnesota Wild +7000, +6000
Montreal Canadiens +2500, +2500
Nashville Predators +2800, +3000
New Jersey Devils +3000, +2500
New York Islanders +8000, +5000
New York Rangers +3000, +3500
Ottawa Senators +7000, +10000
Philadelphia Flyers +1100, +1200
Phoenix Coyotes +3500, +4000
Pittsburgh Penguins +1000, +800
San Jose Sharks +1100, +1000
St Louis Blues +5000, +4000
Tampa Bay Lightning +1600, +1800
Toronto Maple Leafs +5000, +4000
Vancouver Canucks +700, +600
Washington Capitals +700, +800
Winnipeg Jets +6000, +5000
The first thing that will probably come to mind is that Vancouver and Washington are the two favorites, with Boston and Pittsburgh right behind from the Eastern Conference and San Jose and Detroit the next two choices to come from the Western Conference.
Looking at the Contenders
If we look at the previously mentioned six teams we don't have to search too hard to find reasons to go against most of them. In the Eastern Conference, Pittsburgh has obvious health concerns, Boston has the tough task of trying to repeat and Washington has been a great regular season team, but has been absolutely brutal in the postseason.In the Western Conference, Luongo has gone from being a national hero in Canada after the 2010 Olympics to one of the most villified goaltenders in recent memory after last year's Stanley Cup Finals, while San Jose has yet to shed the choker label and Detroit has to win with a young, unproven Jimmy Howard in the postseason.
Of the six, Detroit's question mark may well be the smallest, as Howard hasn't been bad in the postseason, going 12-11 with a .919 save percentage in his four series. The fact that you can get 12-to-1 odds is an additional enticement.
Looking at the mid-tier teams, which are 35-to-1 and lower, a team that may be worth a look is the New York Rangers, which pains me to say as a die-hard New Jersey Devils fan. If the team can stay healthy - which may be a big if, they are certainly worth a shot at that price. The team has solid goaltending, a young defense which should continue to improve and with the additional of Brad Richards, may have enough offense to fight for the title.
If looking for a real longshot there are two that offer some value in the Carolina Hurricanes and the St. Louis Blues. When Cam Ward is at the top of his game he is as good as anybody in the league and gives Carolina a chance to win every time out, while the Blues are a young team on the upswing and brought in several veterans to help.
A number of sportsbooks have yet to release Stanley Cup odds, such as The Greek so you may want to wait until all the sportsbooks have their odds posted. But if you find something you like now, don't hesitate as odds traditionally go lower as we get closer to the start of the season.
