It’s amazing what the best start in franchise history will do for your place on the odds to win the Stanley Cup at the sportsbooks – especially when that franchise has an illustrious history like the Montreal Canadiens.
Just a week ago the Canadiens were in a logjam with three other teams for top spot on the Stanley Cup futures at Bodog. Montreal now sits alone as the overall Cup favorite at +650.
Montreal has started the season with nine straight wins and most of them haven’t been close. The Habs have scored 35 goals this season and allowed only 12. Not only are they the top offensive team in the league, that offense gets to play in front of arguably the best goalie on the planet in Vezina winner Carey Price.
While Montreal has soared to the top of the odds list the rest of the Canadian teams have either remained stagnant or taken a tumble. Last week Winnipeg, Vancouver and Calgary were all listed at +2800 at Bodog and they all still remain there. Ottawa has fallen to +4000 from +3300 and Edmonton is stuck again at +6600. Toronto continues to remain an afterthought at +10000.
The biggest risers on the Stanley Cup futures are the Dallas Stars. Last week Dallas was way down the list at +3300, but they’re now up to +1200. The Stars have started the season a solid 6-2, but their meteoric rise is most likely due to the duo of Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn. They have both started the season on fire and are co-leaders in the scoring race with 12 points each.
Also making a modest gain on the odds list are the Washington Capitals. Washington got a slight bump up to +1200 after beginning the season at +1600. The Caps have begun the season 6-1 behind a balanced offensive attack and a surprisingly good defense. Alexander Ovechkin has five goals in six games, but it’s Evgeni Kuznetsov who has been on fire with 11 points in seven games.
Odds to Win Stanley Cup at Bodog
Montreal Canadiens +650
New York Rangers +1000
Chicago Blackhawks +1100
Tampa Bay Lightning +1200
Dallas Stars +1200
Minnesota Wild +1200
St. Louis Blues +1200
Washington Capitals +1200
Anaheim Ducks +1400
Pittsburgh Penguins +1600
Nashville Predators +1800
Los Angeles Kings +1800
New York Islanders +1800
Detroit Red Wings +2200
Winnipeg Jets +2500
San Jose Sharks +2800
Ottawa Senators +4000
Florida Panthers +4000
Philadelphia Flyers +4000
Vancouver Canucks +5000
Calgary Flames +5000
Boston Bruins +5000
Columbus Blue Jackets +5000
Edmonton Oilers +6600
Arizona Coyotes +6600
New Jersey Devils +7500
Colorado Avalanche +10000
Toronto Maple Leafs +15000
Buffalo Sabres +15000
Carolina Hurricanes +20000