Last season the conference champions in the NHL were the Chicago Blackhawks in the West and the Tampa Bay Lightning in the East. According to the oddsmakers at online sportsbook Bodog we could be headed for a repeat matchup in the Stanley Cup final.
In the West the defending Cup champion Blackhawks are heavy favorites to win the West again at +325 at Bodog. The Blackhawks had some turnover during the offseason as Brandon Saad and Patrick Sharp were both traded to free up some cap room. Patrick Kane’s future in Chicago remains cloudy right now, which could heavily impact the odds if he misses any time this season.
Trailing Chicago on the Western Conference futures odds are Anaheim and Los Angeles, both at +550. St. Louis sits alone at +750, while Minnesota and Nashville share +900 odds. Dallas and Winnipeg are leading the longshots at +1200.
Over in the East it’s a two-team race for the top of the futures odds with Tampa Bay and the New York Rangers both at +450. The Lightning topped the Rangers in seven games in last year’s conference final and return with their young lineup intact.
Steve Stamkos tops the marquee for the Lightning, but they are loaded with young talent including Tyler Johnson, Victor Hedman, Nikita Kucherov and Jonathan Drouin.
The Rangers came up one win short of back-to-back Eastern Conference titles last season. Some of the Rangers’ stars will soon be on the wrong side of 30 so their window may be closing. With one of the best goaltenders in the world in Henrik Lundqvist and a solid offense led by Rick Nash, Derek Stepan and Keith Yandle they’re not done yet though.
Also getting some respect from the Bodog oddsmakers are Pittsburgh at +700, Washington at +750 and Montreal at +800.
Odds to Win the Eastern Conference @ Bodog
New York Rangers +450
Tampa Bay Lightning +450
Pittsburgh Penguins +700
Washington Capitals +750
Montreal Canadiens +800
Boston Bruins +1000
New York Islanders +1000
Columbus Blue Jackets +1200
Detroit Red Wings +1200
Ottawa Senators +1800
Florida Panthers +2800
New Jersey Devils +4000
Philadelphia Flyers +4000
Buffalo Sabres +5000
Carolina Hurricanes +5000
Toronto Maple Leafs +5000
Odds to Win the Western Conference @ Bodog
Chicago Blackhawks +325
Anaheim Ducks +550
Los Angeles Kings +550
St. Louis Blues +750
Minnesota Wild +900
Nashville Predators +900
Dallas Stars +1200
Winnipeg Jets +1200
Calgary Flames +1600
Edmonton Oilers +1600
San Jose Sharks +2000
Vancouver Canucks +2500
Colorado Avalanche +3300
Arizona Coyotes +7500