Let's gooooo! NHL Playoffs: Part 1

Let the games begin! We’ve got our first match ups on ice tonight, and you're wondering if the Hurricanes really have the best odds to win the Stanley Cup. Good News! We here at One Team at a Time have TWO articles for you in which we’re dissecting the cup hopeful’s chances. Here in Part 1, we’re digging into which teams are best squared away for some phenomenal series showings. 

While the playoffs can be a crap shoot, the one thing the NHL has is parity. The NHL playoffs are a war of attrition, and the most talented team doesn’t always hoist Lord Stanley's cup. As we’ve seen historically, any team from the 8th seed up can win it all. A major factor to consider is if a team has been on a hot streak, and if they can carry that momentum into the playoffs, they’re trending in the right direction for an underdog upset. Considering past years’ playoff trends and corresponding team compositions, we here at One Team at a Time think we can pinpoint some teams on which we can win some money and of course, bragging rights. 

While health and a little bit of luck also play into who hoists the cup, we can make a case for each of the following playoff contenders. Their odds vary, so ultimately it is between you and the hockey gods on what you wanna bet. Of course, the odds can always drastically change within even the first few games, so it might behoove you to lock in a few future bets now.

Odds to win cup:

Carolina Hurricanes +600

Florida Panthers +700

Dallas Stars +800

Colorado Avalanche +850

Edmonton Oilers +750

New York Rangers +800

Vegas Golden Knights +1100

Boston Bruins +1300

Toronto Maple Leafs +1400

Winnipeg Jets +1500

Vancouver Canucks +1400

Tampa Bay Lightning +2400

Los Angeles Kings +2900

1.Vegas Golden Knights: 

While it can be argued that Vegas might only be here because they are the defending Stanley Cup champs, they’ve improved upon the roster that won them the cup last year. Tomas Hertl, Noah Hanifin, and Anthony Mantha have been added to an already powerhouse roster. The main concern this year has been injury woes, but conveniently for Vegas, Mark Stone is back practicing. Vegas' goalie has been a slight issue this year, but Hill can really turn it on when things get tight. They have 6-3-1 in the last 10, and at +1100 odds it's worth a sprinkle as they go up against the Dallas Stars in a rematch of the Western Conference final they won last year.

2. Vancouver Canucks:

Goalie Thatcher Demko going down really placed Vancouver's regular season on hold, but all indications are that he's healthy, though knee injuries are scary especially for a goalie. With Elias Lindholm, J.T Miller, and Elias Peterson, Vancouver has a very good center depth core, an above average D core, and a great coach in Rick Rochett. Vancouver's bottom pairing forward groups are your prototypical grind lines that in a 7 game series, can really wear you down. Vancouver sitting at +1500 is great value. Their division clinch and home ice  advantage should also do them justice- and they better not lose against the Nashville predators, or there might be riots.

3. Winnipeg Jets: 

Winnipeg has the winning formula for the Stanley Cup playoffs from the cage out. Some shrewd deadline deals, most notably Sean Monahan, have made them deadly. Moving to the Jets has really reinvigorated Monahan’s career, and he’s skated into being a bona fide #2 center for them. In addition, goalies can steal playoffs series, and Connor Hellebuyck is at the top of the list in the NHL. Winnipeg is also wicked fast and has a heavy game, hand built for playoff play. The Jets are a definite underdog team to look out for as they dig into their first series against the favored Colorado Avalanche.

4. New York Rangers: 

New York, this season’s President Trophy winners, have a cup-winning coach in Peter Laviolette who has them firing on all cylinders. New York is potent on special teams and can line up with almost anyone. They possess a huge depth pool if injuries do occur, plus a great goaltending tandem to boot. With players in their prime, this core is at the perfect age to capture some wins. If this isn't the year we see them make some waves, I don't know when else it would be.

5. Dallas Stars:

While they missed it this year to the Rangers, the Stars were another team in close contention for the Presidents Trophy. Dallas’ general manager Jim Nill should be a perennial GM of the year recipient with his master class of free agency additions, contracts, and draft picks (though Texas’ lack of an income tax helps lower the contract numbers). Shrewdly keeping Duchene on a one-year contract has proven clutch, and the Stars have been infused with the youth of Logan Stankoven and an under-the-radar pickup of veteran righty blue liner, Chris Tanev. Dallas is ready to go for a run again, and if goalie Jake Oettinger can return to form, Dallas might prove to be the thorn in the Canucks’ side.

6. Florida Panthers: 

In recent years, Florida has been a menace in the playoffs, making it to the finals last year, and since then, they have only increased their roster strength. Ekman Larson has found the fountain of youth on the Florida beaches, and Reinhart is expecting to get paid after his 50 goal season. Fortified from top to bottom, this lineup has no glaring issues other than Ekblad's injury history. The Panthers will be battling tooth and nail for Florida dominance as they face off against the Tampa Bay Lightning in hopes of getting back to Lord Stanley.

7. Carolina Hurricanes:

Last but certainly not least- and who I think is going to win- the mighty Carolina Hurricanes. When I bet futures, I often place multiple bets, trying to lock in a few diverse bets with good odds. Carolina, for good reason, undoubtedly has the best odds to win. The Hurricanes of yesteryear have had glaring holes in the lineup both at second line center and goaltending, with gaps affecting their overall goal scoring as well. However, Carolina is primed to compete at the next level this year with the emergence of Pyotr Kochetkov in net, the acquisition of not-over-the-hill Evgeny Kuznetsov (who we wrote about in March) and his subsequent fit in the roster, and Jake Guentzel's arrival at the trade deadline. Along with Seth Jarvis, Martin Necas has emerged this year as a bonaide NHL scoring threat. Brent Burns, one of my favorite NHL players, has a chance to finally win a cup and bring it back to Carolina with coach Rod Brind'Amour, who himself won it as captain for Carolina in 2006. 

If we didn’t include your team here, they either didn't clinch or their odds of winning are longer than this article. In Part 2 of our NHL Playoff Projections overview, we’re focusing on who to keep your money off of. That being said, we’d love to hear from you who YOU think is in the best position to take it all!

Photo Credit for Printable NHL Playoff Bracket: Will Harney, 4/19/24