Updated 2023-2024 Stanley Cup Odds: Avs, Bruins, Canucks?

Colorado Avalanche +750

Just two years removed from their Stanley Cup parade the Avalanche are just a piece

or two away from being considered an overall favorite. They haven’t dropped below

+900 through most books dating back to last July. The squad has gotten used to life

without Gabriel Landeskog and instead have relied on reclamation projects such as

Jonathan Drouin who has put up over 10 goals and more than 40 points on the year.

Nate the Great

While they will be looking for a depth forward or two, including a second-line center to

take the pressure off of the top line, Nathan MacKinnon has been an absolute horse. He

currently holds the most points on the season and is a favorite for MVP. He’s on a

16-game point-streak that has seen him produce 32 points in that span. He’s set career

highs for assists and points and is just a single goal away from setting a new high in

goals. He also has a 32-game home point streak that started in the home opener which

ties him for third longest with Guy Lafleur and just behind Wayne Gretzky’s 40-game

streak in 88-89 and his 33-game streak in 85-86. Not a bad company to be in. To add

some more perspective on MacKinnon’s dominance, he is 24 points up on his linemate

Mikko Rantanen who has an impressive 37 goals on the year.

Apres-Crew

On the backend, Cale Makar is doing Cale Makar things. He’s second among blueliners

with 17 goals and 75 points, despite playing 5 fewer games than league leader Quinn

Hughes. Then there is Alexandar Georgiev who has been leaned on heavily this

season, earning 35 wins thus far. General Manager Chris MacFarland was active at the

deadline making a few trades, including shipping off Ryan Johansen to Philadelphia for

Sean Walker and bringing in Casey Mittelstadt from Buffalo for Bowen Byram.

Mittelstadt has been an excellent addition and has slotted in perfectly as the second-line

center.

Carolina Hurricanes +750

Crease Concerns No More

While there usually is an air of instability in the crease for Carolina, the return of

Frederik Andersen has brought a whole wave of confidence to the Hurricanes lineup.

They’ve seemingly cemented their last line of defense with the tandem of Pyotr

Kochetkov and Andersen. Since Andersen’s return, the Hurricanes have lost just a

single game with both he and Kochetkov alternating starts.

Storm Surge

The difference upfront for the Hurricanes is that they don’t have one particular player

that they’ve counted on to carry the load. They have 10 different players who have hit

double-digits in goals and only one player with more than 55 points. When it comes to

special teams, they have the third-best power play in the league and the second-best

penalty kill in the league.

Frog Splash

The Hurricanes were in a position where they had the assets to go after a big fish at the

deadline and that’s exactly what they did. They went out and made a splash, trading for

Jake Guentzel who is proving to be an excellent fit in Carolina’s top-six.

Boston Bruins +1200

After last year’s historic regular season, many thought the Bruins would take a step

back, especially after losing both of their top centers in Patrice Bergeron and David

Krejci to retirement. Instead, they just keep on keeping on.

Beantown Beatdown

Winger David Pastrnak leads the team with 44 goals and 99 points which is good

enough for fourth-best in the NHL. The issue is that Pastrnak is relied upon a bit too

much. He’s 38 points up on the next highest scorer on the team in Brad Marchand who

is on his way to a 30-goal season.

1-2 Punch in the Crease

In net, they easily have the best tandem with Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark.

They’ve split the crease with 22 and 19 wins respectively this year and don’t seem to be

slowing down.

Center of Attention

The Bruins failed to address their need for center depth at the deadline, something that

may haunt them in the playoffs. Nevertheless, they have the most points in the league

up to this point and are a threat to hoist hockey’s holy grail.

Vancouver Canucks +1400

The Canucks took a top trade target off the board at the end of January when they

acquired Elias Lindholm from Calgary for Andrei Kuzmenko and a mix of picks and

prospects. It was rumored that both the Avs and Bruins were in on him but the Canucks

made the Flames an offer they couldn’t refuse.

Canucks by Committee

Vancouver sits in the top spot in the Western Conference and are tied for 2nd with 94

points on the season. They have three players inside the top twenty when it comes to

points in the NHL and have a 36-goal scorer in Brock Boeser. JT Miller leads the squad

with 89 points, good for a top ten position in the league. The lotto line is backed by

consistent depth in the lineup as Vancouver boasts 10 players who have put up at least

10 goals on the year.

Oh Captain, My Captain

On the blue line, Vancouver’s Captain Quinn Hughes has the most points among

defensemen with 79, setting a new Canucks franchise record for points by a

defenseman in a season. Hughes has a real chance to be the first Canucks

defenseman to win the Norris Trophy.

Down Goes Demko

In net, Thatcher Demko has just one less win than Georgiev at 34 despite starting 4

fewer games. Unfortunately, Vancouver will have to get used to life without Demko for

the time being as he went down on March 9th against Winnipeg with a lower-body

injury. It’s believed that he’ll be out for up to a month so the Canucks will look to Casey

DeSmith to be their number 1 in the meantime.

Despite having gone all-in on Lindholm, the Canucks are still a piece or two away from

being considered a true contender in the postseason. That’s what made this deadline

so….confusing. Vancouver elected to stand pat after already making a big swing with

Lindholm. With the former Calgary Flame not producing up to his standard, there were

rumors of flipping him in a three-team deal for Guentzel. Obviously that didn’t happen

but you would have thought that GM Patrik Allvin would have done something. Then

again, this franchise has a history of giving up future assets for deals that don’t pan out.

Well, here’s to hoping for Canucks fans that the deal that they did make is enough to

hopefully bring the franchise their first Stanley Cup.

For all the latest NHL Stanley Cup odds visit BetOnline.