Trent Reinsmith
- The Vegas Golden Knights won the franchise’s first Stanley Cup in 2023.
- Like last season, the Colorado Avalanche are the preseason betting favorites to win the 2024 Stanley Cup.
- Will 2024 mark the return of the Stanley Cup to Canada? The Edmonton Oilers and Toronto Maple Leafs are in the mix.
With the Vegas Golden Knights several months into celebrating their five-game series win over the Florida Panthers to win the 2023 Stanley Cup, the 2023 NHL entry draft behind us, and some notable free agent moves taking place, it’s time to take a serious look at the betting odds, picks and predictions for the 2024 Stanley Cup.
Before the 2023 NHL regular season opened, the Colorado Avalanche and Toronto Maple Leafs were the only teams listed at less than +1000 to win the Cup. The Maple Leafs made it to the second round of the Eastern Conference postseason, but they fell to the Florida Panthers in five games. Meanwhile, the Seattle Kraken upset the Avalanche in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs, downing Colorado in a seven-game series. As for the eventual Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights, their preseason Stanley Cup betting odds were as high as +2500.
With the 2024 NHL regular season starting with three games on October 10: Nashville Predators vs. Tampa Bay Lightning, Chicago Blackhawks vs. Pittsburgh Penguins, and Seattle Kraken vs. Vegas Golden Knights, here is a look at the 2024 Stanley Cup Futures. You can also find the best NHL hockey betting sites here, and the best Stanley Cup betting sites, here.
2024 Stanley Cup Futures
Colorado Avalanche
The bad news for the Colorado Avalanche is that the team will be without their captain Gabriel Landeskog for a second straight season. Landeskog, who was last seen hoisting the Stanley Cup over his head at the end of the 2022 NHL season, underwent his third knee surgery in 14 months in May. The good news is that the team won the Western Conference’s Central Division in 2023 without Landeskog. Colorado finished the year with a 51-24-7 record and 109 points.
In June, Colorado addressed their need for a second-line center when they acquired Ryan Johansen from the Nashville Predators. Johansen scored a respectable 63 points in his last full season of play. A skate cut ended his 2023 season in February.
The Avalanche have an excellent core in Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, and Cale Makar. While a healthy version of the Colorado Avalanche will contend for the 2024 Stanley Cup, the team cannot afford injuries.
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes finished the 2023 NHL regular season with the second-best record in the Eastern Conference and the NHL at 52-21-9. However, the team’s regular season success did not translate to the playoffs, and the Hurricanes bowed out in the Conference Finals after the Florida Panthers swept them in four games.
Carolina has been aggressive in free agency, signing Michael Bunting from the Toronto Maple Leafs after he put up 46 goals and 112 points over the two previous seasons while playing with Auston Matthews and Mitchell Marner. The team also inked defenseman Dmitry Orlov from the Bruins. The ‘Canes hope Bunting will add to its secondary scoring while Orlov shores up an already impressive blueline.
The Hurricanes are the only team who has been among the top three in the overall NHL regular season standings over the past three years.
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers have the best player in the NHL in Connor McDavid. One could argue that the Oilers also have the second-best player in the league in Leon Draisaitl. However, after making it to the Western Conference Finals in 2022, the Oilers fell to the Vegas Golden Knights in six games in the second round of the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs. Last year was a step back for the team, and that won’t sit well with the fan base, players, or ownership. Edmonton is expected to excel in 2024.
Edmonton picked up Connor Brown in free agency. The 29-year-old averages 16 goals and 40 points per 82 games in the NHL. The Oilers hope that Brown and McDavid can capture some of the chemistry they had with the OHL’s Erie Otters. Brown led the OHL in assists (83) and points (128) in his final year in the league before he joined the Toronto Maple Leafs as a sixth-round pick in the 2012 NHL draft.
Best bet to win the 2024 Stanley Cup
The Carolina Hurricanes looked like they had all the tools in place to claim the Stanley Cup at the end of the 2023 NHL playoffs. That was not the case, as the Florida Panthers swept the ‘Canes and represented the Eastern Conference against the Western Conference-winning Vegas Golden Knights. The loss to the Panthers showed the Hurricanes where they were lacking last season. The team will improve in 2024, and they are my betting pick to win the Stanley Cup in 2024.
Betting pick to win the 2024 Stanley Cup: Carolina Hurricanes
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