Oddsmakers predict Rangers-Blackhawks Stanley Cup finals
Which team will skate the Stanley Cup this spring? Odds are it will be the Rangers.
NHL Power Rankings: Rangers cling to No. 1 as Wild make run at top
New York’s Broadway Blueshirts, listed at 12/1 a month ago, are now at 13/2 and the favorites to win the championship according to the oddsmakers at Bovada.com.
Despite some recent struggles, the Blackhawks are the best bet out of the Western Conference at 7/1.
The Wild surged from 14/1 to 8/1 on the strength of an 11-3 record in March. The Canadiens held steady at 10/1, the second-best odds for any team from the Eastern Conference.
Here’s how the rest of the field lays out. The first numbers represent each team’s odds on March 3. The second set are the current odds as of April 1.
Ducks: 9/1 then 9/1 now
Blues: 10/1 then 10/1 now
Lightning: 14/1 then 10/1 now
Predators: 9/1 then 14/1 now
Penguins: 12/1 then 14/1 now
Kings: 12/1 then 16/1 now
NHL Playoff Race: Projected matchups if season ended today
Islanders: 12/1 then 18/1 now
Red Wings: 14/1 then 20/1 now
Canucks: 25/1 then 20/1 now
Capitals: 18/1 then 22/1 now
Flames: 33/1 then 33/1 now
Jets: 33/1 then 40/1 now
Senators: 200/1 then 50/1 now
Panthers: 66/1 then 300/1 now
The remaining 11 teams have been taken off the board.
Bovada also offered odds on two major awards. Canadiens star Carey Price is the favorite to win the Hart Memorial Trophy at 1/3. Washington’s 50-goal man Alex Ovechkin is second at 7/2 with Pittsburgh supertar Sidney Crosby at 7/1, Minnesota’s golden goalie Devan Dubnyk at 15/1 and Islanders captain John Tavares at 20/1.
For the Calder Trophy (rookie of the year), Bovada lists Calgary’s Johnny Gaudreau as the prohibitive favorite at 4/7, followed by Nashville’s Filip Forsberg at 7/4, Ottawa’s Mike Hoffman at 6/1 and Florida’s Aaron Ekblad at 8/1.
The Sabres are 13/4 favorites to win the NHL’s Draft Lottery and the right to draft Connor McDavid. The Coyotes are second at 5/1, followed by Toronto at 6/1.