In most cases the defending champion of a major professional sport is the odds-on favorite to repeat as champion again. Yet this year in the National Hockey League that is certainly not the case. The Washington Capitals were an upstart and unexpected champion last year and while there is absolutely no doubt that they deserved the championship there is a sense that it is a one-off that will not occur again.
To further add to that feeling is the fact that head coach Barry Trotz was gone less than a week after the Capitals hoisted the Stanley Cup. Trotz went to the New York Islanders after coaching without a new contract in his final season with the Caps.
NHL Odds for 2019 Stanley Cup Championship at BookMaker.eu
Anaheim Ducks +3000
Arizona Coyotes +10000
Boston Bruins +1000
Buffalo Sabres +7500
Calgary Flames +3500
Carolina Hurricanes +7500
Chicago Blackhawks +6000
Colorado Avalanche +4000
Columbus Blue Jackets +2200
Dallas Stars +2600
Detroit Red Wings +15000
Edmonton Oilers +4000
Florida Panthers +3000
Los Angeles Kings +3000
Minnesota Wild +2600
Montreal Canadiens +10000
Nashville Predators +850
New Jersey Devils +5000
New York Islanders +15000
New York Rangers +20000
Ottawa Senators +20000
Philadelphia Flyers +1600
Pittsburgh Penguins +925
Saint Louis Blues +2800
San Jose Sharks +2200
Tampa Bay Lighting +775
Toronto Maple Leafs +900
Vancouver Canucks +15000
Vegas Golden Knights +1200
Washington Capitals +1850
Winnipeg Jets +900
Odds Analysis
The NHL may have the most interesting futures odds of any sport as there is not a clear-cut favorite that stands apart from the rest but instead there are several legitimate contenders that can be considered realistic contenders. There are several teams that rate ahead of the Capitals in the minds of gamblers. This is also a credit to the hockey betting public and its depth of knowledge.
The Beaten Favorites of the Eastern Conference
There are three teams in the Eastern Conference that could be taken seriously as top shelf contenders. The Boston Bruins can play with anyone when healthy but goaltender Tuukka Rask is yet to fully prove himself in the playoffs. The Tampa Bay Lighting let the Washington Capitals off the hook in the Eastern Conference Final by blowing a 3-2 series lead. No team in the East can match Tampa Bay for overall depth and speed. Then there are the 2016 and 2017 Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins. It seemed as if the Penguins came up flat in the playoffs last year which may likely be attributed to fatigue from their two successful long runs in those aforementioned championship seasons. But the Penguins core returns and could be feeling motivated to redeem themselves for a weak showing in 2018.
Best of the West
The defending Western Conference champion Vegas Golden Knights will be catching nobody off guard this year after becoming the surprise team of the NHL as a first-year expansion team last season. While their run to the final was no fluke the Golden Knights face a near impossible act to follow. The Nashville Predators won the Western Conference in 2017 but were stymied by the Golden Knights in the second-round last year. Yet the Preds still have their championship core though scoring depth may be a concern. The Winnipeg Jets are exceptionally built and were considered the best of the west until Vegas upset them in the Western Conference Final. This is a team that is young, deep, skilled, strong and fully capable of winning it all.
Free Pick for 2019 Stanley Cup Championship
The Tampa Bay Lightning and Winnipeg Jets are the best teams in their respective conferences. Winnipeg in particular brings great value but Tampa Bay likely should have won it all last year. To see these teams in the Stanley Cup Final would be of no surprise. At the end of the day the Tampa Bay Lightning are way overdue to win it all.
NHL Futures Odds for 2019 Stanley Cup Championship: Tampa Bay Lightning
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