What NHL teams are favorites to win their division and the Stanley Cup in the 2022/23 season?
The season is off and running and the odds are in. It’s time for a look at the teams favored to come out on top in this year’s NHL campaign.
The 2022-23 NHL season is now underway, which means it’s as good a time as any to take a look at which teams are favored to go the distance in their divisions and if lady luck smiles, win the Stanley Cup itself.
What’s the lay of the land for the 2022-23 NHL season?
Off the bat, we’ll say that it wouldn’t be a bad bet to place your money on the Colorado Avalanche to defend last year’s Stanley Cup win. That being said, let’s begin at the top. For starters, the Eastern Conference is just full of contenders. To elaborate on that, four of the teams with the five-best Stanley Cup title odds currently play in the East, as do six of the top 10. Between the Atlantic and Metropolitan divisions, there are four teams which crossed the 100-point mark last season. It’ll be no surprise if that happens again this year.
Two teams in particular that would be worth keeping an eye on are the Maple Leafs and the Bruins. In the case of the team from TO, it’s been some time since they last won a playoff series - 2004 - and longer still, since they won the Stanley Cup - 1967 - but rest assured, this is a talented squad and the aforementioned odds seem to reflect that. As for the Bruins, it would be a mistake to overlook this team. Granted they will have a difficult time accommodating for early campaign casualties like Brad Marchand, Matt Grzelcyk and Charlie McAvoy, but once they’re fit again, they’re going to be a handful.
At any rate, let’s get into how these teams stack up in their respective divisions:
| Rank | Atlantic | Metropolitan | Pacific | Central |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toronto Maple Leafs | Carolina Hurricanes | Edmonton Oilers | Colorado Avalanche |
| 2 | Tampa Bay Lightning | Pittsburgh Penguins | Calgary Flames | St. Louis Blues |
| 3 | Boston Bruins | New York Rangers | Vegas Golden Knights | Minnesota Wild |
| 4 | Florida Panthers | Washington Capitals | Los Angeles Kings | Nashville Predators |
| 5 | Ottawa Senators | New Jersey Devils | Vancouver Canucks | Dallas Stars |
Where the Stanley Cup’s concerned, there’s one overriding favorite. If you haven’t managed to guess by now, then here’s a hint: