The sportsbooks have spoken, and it’s the Vancouver Canucks that they have atop their Stanley Cup odds board heading into the start of the NHL’s regular-season schedule.
The Canucks open the 2011/12 NHL season as the 7/1 favorite at the Bodog Sportsbook to take that one last step and win the Stanley Cup this time around – they were knocked off in the finals by the Boston Bruins last season.
The Washington Capitals are next at the Bodog Sportsbook at 15/2 on the Stanley Cup odds board for this season, with the Pittsburgh Penguins at 9/1, and the Bruins tied with the San Jose Sharks at 10/1 on that NHL betting board.
Prefer the champions from two seasons ago? The Chicago Blackhawks are at 12/1 on the Stanley Cup odds board at the Bodog Sportsbook, where they’re tied with the always-competitive Detroit Red Wings and just a step back of the revamped 11/1 Philadelphia Flyers.
Relative upstarts make up the next section on that NHL betting odds list, with the Los Angeles Kings at 14/1, the Buffalo Sabres at 16/1, and the Tampa Bay Lightning at 18/1.
Sticking with a Canadian club for your Stanley Cup odds wager? The Bodog Sportsbook has the Montreal Canadiens at 25/1 odds to win the title next spring, with the Calgary Flames at 40/1, the Edmonton Oilers and the Toronto Maple Leafs at 50/1, the reincarnated Winnipeg Jets at 60/1, and the Ottawa Senators at a longshot 100/1.
Odds to win the 2012 Stanley Cup at the Bodog Sportsbook
Vancouver Canucks 7/1
Washington Capitals 15/2
Pittsburgh Penguins 9/1
Boston Bruins 10/1
San Jose Sharks 10/1
Philadelphia Flyers 11/1
Chicago Blackhawks 12/1
Detroit Red Wings 12/1
Los Angeles Kings 14/1
Buffalo Sabres 16/1
Tampa Bay Lightning 18/1
Anaheim Ducks 25/1
Montreal Canadiens 25/1
New York Rangers 25/1
Nashville Predators 30/1
New Jersey Devils 30/1
St. Louis Blues 35/1
Calgary Flames 40/1
Dallas Stars 40/1
Phoenix Coyotes 40/1
Carolina Hurricanes 45/1
Edmonton Oilers 50/1
Toronto Maple Leafs 50/1
Winnipeg Jets 60/1
Colorado Avalanche 65/1
Columbus Blue Jackets 75/1
Florida Panthers 75/1
Minnesota Wild 75/1
New York Islanders 80/1
Ottawa Senators 100/1