NHL 2016 Futures – Will the Blackhawks Repeat? [UPDATED]

The 2014-15 NHL season saw the Chicago Blackhawks hoist the Stanley Cup for the third time in six years. As Blackhawks players tote the Cup around to various events over the summer, the rest of the league is already thinking about next season and how to knock off the Toews/Kane/Keith dynasty that has emerged in the Windy City.

But while the champs have to say goodbye to some pieces to circumvent the salary cap (Patrick Sharp, Brandon Saad and Johnny Oduya), their proven ability to win big games still makes Chicago the 2015-16 season betting favorites (13/2).

Around them, other teams have made a flurry of moves to try to catch up. The Ducks have sought help from Kevin Bieksa, Carl Hagelin and Shawn Horcoff; the Kings grabbed power forward Milan Lucic; and the Penguins added speedy Phil Kessel and center Nick Bonino in order to solidify their spots near the top of the list.

The Bruins wild draft weekend has shaken up their team, but not their chances according to oddsmakers. Meanwhile the Oilers drafting Connor McDavid along with some other quality moves has them leaping up the board.

One of the teams to keep an eye on will be the Dallas Stars, who rocketed up the board after acquiring Sharp and Oduya from the Hawks. With Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn, Jason Spezza and more already in place, Dallas is a team that will light the lamp often next year.

In terms of individual hardware, Sidney Crosby no longer has a stranglehold on the Hart Trophy (a.k.a. regular season MVP) odds like he has in past years. Sid the Kid is a co-favorite (6/1) with Washington super-sniper Alex Ovechkin and Islander stud John Tavares.

For a look at the odds for next seasons biggest hardware, check below.

2015-16 NHL Futures:

Odds to win the 2016 Stanley Cup as of July 31 (original odds in parentheses, much like this phrase!):

Chicago – 13/2 (6/1)

Anaheim – 10/1 (8/1)

Tampa Bay – 10/1 (no change)

New York Rangers – 11/1 (8/1)

Pittsburgh – 11/1 (12/1)

Los Angeles – 12/1 (10/1)

St. Louis – 14/1 (12/1)

Minnesota – 16/1 (12/1)

Nashville – 16/1 (12/1)

Montreal – 18/1 (no change)

Washington –  18/1 (16/1)

Boston – 20/1 (16/1)

New York Islanders – 22/1 (20/1)

Dallas – 25/1 (80/1)

Columbus – 25/1 (30/1)

Winnipeg – 28/1 (20/1)

Detroit – 28/1 (30/1)

Calgary – 33/1 (40/1)

Edmonton – 33/1 (60/1)

Ottawa – 40/1 (no change)

San Jose – 40/1 (60/1)

Vancouver – 50/1 (no change)

Colorado – 66/1 (80/1)

Florida – 66/1 (80/1)

Philadelphia – 75/1 (100/1)

New Jersey – 75/1 (100/1)

Toronto – 100/1 (no change)

Carolina – 100/1 (no change)

Buffalo – 100/1 (200/1)

Arizona – 150/1 (200/1)

 

Odds to win the 2015-2016 Hart Trophy:

Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh) – 6/1

Alex Ovechkin (Washington) – 6/1

John Tavares (New York Islanders) – 6/1

Jonathan Toews (Chicago) – 12/1

Ryan Getzlaf (Anaheim)– 12/1

Claude Giroux (Philadelphia) – 12/1

Steven Stamkos (Tampa Bay) – 12/1

Patrick Kane (Chicago) – 20/1

Tyler Seguin (Dallas) – 30/1

Connor McDavid (undrafted) – 75/1

 

Odds to meet in the 2016 Stanley Cup Final:

Chicago vs. New York Rangers – 25/2

Chicago vs. Tampa Bay – 17/1

Chicago vs. Pittsburgh – 20/1

Anaheim vs. New York Rangers – 22/1

Anaheim vs. Tampa Bay – 25/1

 

(Photo credit: Lisa Gansky from New York, NY, USA (IMG_7591) [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons. Photo may appear cropped.)