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NHL Stanley Cup Odds 2017: Chicago Blackhawks, Tampa Bay Lightning Early Favorites

By Joseph Karbousky
Published on: 10:47 PST, Oct 11, 2016

The NHL Stanley Cup odds for the upcoming 2017 season have been released as the season schedule gets ready to kickoff this week. Hockey fans are ready to carry the momentum into the regular season on the heels of the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, which saw Team Canada take home the top prize. Could Sidney Crosby have had a better summer vacation?

The Pittsburgh Penguins star was named the MVP of the 2016 Stanley Cup after leading his team to the NHL title over the San Jose Sharks last June. For an encore, Crosby helped lead Team Canada to a World Cup title less than a month ago — he also earned the MVP for the tournament. It would be fair to say that Crosby has had an incredible run in 2016 but now it is time to start a new season, and repeating as champions will be a tall task for “Sid the Kid” and the Penguins.

Yes, while the Penguins are the defending champs, Las Vegas experts are favoring Chicago this season. Last year the Blackhawks were favored to win the Stanley Cup; however, they were knocked out of the postseason in the first round by the St. Louis Blues.

According to a Chicago Blackhawks website report, the early favorites to win the 2017 Stanley Cup get their season started Wednesday, October 12, with a special red carpet event. Chicago will face the St. Louis Blues, the same team that sent the Blackhawks home early after defeating them in round one of the 2015-16 Stanley Cup playoffs.

Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins was a hit at the NHL Awards. [Image by Ethan Miller/Getty Images]

The top five favorites to win the 2017 Stanley Cup look like this – the Chicago Blackhawks are listed as the overall favorite at +750 followed by the Tampa Bay Lightning, Pittsburgh Penguins, and Washington Capitals in a three-way tie at +1000. The Dallas Stars are in fifth place overall at +1200.

One team to watch early on in the 2016-17 season is the Washington Capitals. Last season the Capitals had the best record in the NHL at 56-18-8, but once again Washington was the bridesmaid instead of the bride, getting bounced from the postseason by the Pittsburgh Penguins. Despite being one of the best teams in the NHL record wise over the past five seasons, the Capitals have never won a Stanley Cup in their franchise history.

If you have visions of betting a little to strike it rich, here are a few teams to keep in mind.

First up are the Detroit Red Wings. They are young, talented, and have made the postseason 25 years in a row, and as NHL fans know very well, once you make the playoffs, you never know what can happen! At 40/1 odds, you may just get lucky by winning a small fortune.

The same can be said about the Boston Bruins. With Tuukka Rask improving in the net, the Bruins could be a long shot to watch out for. A team can go a long way in the NHL postseason behind a hot goalie, and Rask has that ability. If Patrice Bergeron can score 30-plus goals once again and David Krejci can keep up his great play, Boston may surprise some people this season, especially at 30/1 odds.

Tuukka Rask is the reason Boston will always be a contender. [Image by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images]

The longest long shot on the Stanley Cup odds board are the Carolina Hurricanes. At 200/1 or higher, depending at which Las Vegas sports book you check, the Hurricanes have been dubbed the team of 2016 that has no chance to win the 2017 title.

One thing you have to remember is, never believe the odds. The favorites don’t always win. After all, if they did, it sure would make it easy to always beat Vegas, wouldn’t it?

Below is a look at the current Stanley Cup odds.

  • Chicago Blackhawks +750
  • Pittsburgh Penguins +1000
  • Washington Capitals +1000
  • Tampa Bay Lightning +1000
  • Dallas Stars +1200
  • St. Louis Blues +1400
  • San Jose Sharks +1600
  • Nashville Predators +1600
  • Anaheim Ducks +1600
  • Florida Panthers +1600
  • Los Angeles Kings +1800
  • Minnesota Wild +2500
  • New York Rangers +2500
  • Detroit Red Wings +2500
  • New York Islanders +2500
  • Boston Bruins +2500
  • Montreal Canadiens +2500
  • Philadelphia Flyers +3300
  • Edmonton Oilers +3300
  • New Jersey Devils +5000
  • Colorado Avalanche +5000
  • Ottawa Senators +5000
  • Calgary Flames +5000
  • Winnipeg Jets +5000
  • Toronto Maple Leafs +5000
  • Buffalo Sabres +5000
  • Arizona Coyotes +6600
  • Carolina Hurricanes +6600
  • Columbus Blue Jackets +6600
  • Vancouver Canucks +6600

[Featured Image by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images]

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