Oddsmakers have Avs as big favorites to repeat as Stanley Cup champs
Sep 9, 2022, 11:48 AM
The Avalanche are going to do it again.
At least according to the oddsmakers.
The Avs are big favorites to repeat as Stanley Cup champions, with new odds putting them at 7/2 to win the best trophy in sports. That puts them well ahead of the Toronto Maple Leafs (8/1), Florida Panthers (10/1) and Tampa Bay Lightning (10/1).
To put it simply, if you bet $100 on the Avs to win it at all, it’d pay $350. A bet on the Leafs would pay $800 and the Panthers and Lightning would each pay $1,000. When you put it that way, its pretty clear the wise guys in Las Vegas think the Avalanche will win back-to-back titles.
It’s hard to doubt them. The core of this team is back, as the Avalanche will return Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog for another go at this thing. Devon Toews and Valeri Nichushkin are back, as well as 2022 trade deadline acquisitions Artturi Lehkonen and Josh Manson. The Avs moved on from Darcy Kuemper in net, but traded for Alexander Georgiev from the Rangers to replace him.
Joe Sakic was elevated to team president this offseason, Chris MacFarland is the new GM and Jared Bednar obviously remains head coach. Are you sensing a theme? There is a lot of continuity within this group, despite losing Nazem Kadri to the Calgary Flames. The oddsmakers think that familiarity is a huge advantage for the Avalanche.
And hockey is closer than you think, with opening night at Ball Arena just a little more than a month out. The journey to win the Stanley Cup again begins again on October 12 against the Chicago Blackhawks.
***
