It has been a surprising year in the world of sports, especially in the NBA and the NHL, where we have seen a pair of very unlikely champions crowned. This was particularly true in the NHL, especially when you consider that the St. Louis Blues were, at one point in the season, sitting dead last in the Western Conference.
Their turnaround and eventual winning of the Stanley Cup is one that is going to be remembered for quite some time, but the question now is whether they can come out and repeat the magic. It’s early yet, but the bookies have a lot of teams sitting ahead of the Blues in terms of the odds for the 2020 season. Let’s look ahead at some of the favorites at the latest NHL Odds to win it all next year.
2020 Stanley Cup Odds – June 17th Edition
Tampa Bay Lightning
- 2020 Stanley Cup Odds: +700
In the era of the President’s Trophy, only 8 teams have ever finished the NHL regular season with the best record and gone on to also win the Stanley Cup. The Tampa Bay Lightning were the latest team to fall prey to that jinx, finishing last season far and away from the best record in the league, only to fall at the first hurdle in the playoffs.
While their play in the postseason was a stunning disappointment, you cannot immediately rule them out next year, as you need to look at how good they were through those 82 games. The Lightning might well pull a Washington Capitals move and finally break through to win it all.
Boston Bruins
- 2020 Stanley Cup Odds: +1000
The Bruins are likely to be in a bit of a funk after coming as close as you can get to winning a championship without actually hoisting the cup. The Bruins made it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final before falling to the St. Louis Blues in Game 7.
This is a very talented hockey team and there is every reason to believe that they will be back as strong as ever next season. The Bruins are in a very tough division, but their run this year proves that they are right there among the very best that the NHL has to offer.
Toronto Maple Leafs
- 2020 Stanley Cup Odds: +1000
If you need any clue that the Atlantic Division is going to be stacked next season, just look at the current favorites to win the 2020 Stanley Cup. The top 3 teams in the bookies’ eyes are all situated in that division, with the Toronto Maple Leafs being next on the list.
This is an exciting young team that appears to be on the brink of big things. Let’s not forget that they took the Bruins to 7 games in the opening round. Had Toronto won that final game and moved on, who knows how far they would have eventually gone. This may well be the team to watch in 2020.
Vegas Golden Knights
- 2020 Stanley Cup Odds: +1000
There were a lot of people who believed that the Vegas Golden Knights were a one-hit wonder when they made it to the Stanley Cup Final in the inaugural season.
While they didn’t make it all the way back last year, they still made it into the postseason and were one of the better teams in the Western Conference. The West actually looks as though it may be pretty wide-open again next year, with Vegas being as good a bet as any to navigate the conference and make a deep run in the postseason.
Other Candidates to Win the 2020 Stanley Cup
- Colorado Avalanche 1200
- St. Louis Blues +1400
- Calgary Flames +1500
- San Jose Sharks +1700
- Nashville Predators +1800
- Washington Capitals +1800
- Winnipeg Jets +1800
- Dallas Stars +2000
