Fresh off of their Stanley Cup title run, you’ll have to excuse the Los Angeles Kings for still being in a state of euphoric intoxication. Lord knows what they’re doing to the Stanley Cup, although we hope that they haven’t left it on a deserted road, or, God forbid, threw it into a river. We trust that they’re taking good care of it, even if it’s serving its yearly purpose of being the world’s most expensive cocktail mixer.
So while the Kings are off in their celebrations, the lines for the 2013 Stanley Cup have already gone live. And surprise, surprise, the defending champs are the second-favorite to win it all again at 11/1. Most of the team will remain intact and that brick wall named Jonathan Quick will still be manning the net for the team so expect these guys to be in the thick of things next year.
But they’re not the favorites, which, oddly enough, falls on the shoulders of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Pens flamed out in the first round of this year’s play-offs, despite having the third best record in the league. Then again, the Canucks won the President’s Trophy and they just got steamrolled by the Kings. But we digress. As the faces, the Penguins have been priced at 7/1.
Five teams have been slotted just below the Kings at 12/1: the Vancouver Canucks, the New York Rangers, the Detroit Red Wings, the Chicago Blackhawks, and the St. Louis Blues. All these teams could be good marks at this point and if you happen to be a fan of one of them, we certainly wouldn’t take it against you if you laid some wood this early.
Two other teams that could have some value now are the Philadelphia Flyers and the Boston Bruins, both of whom are getting 14/1 odds.
The lines for all the teams can be found at the bottom, but before that, a couple of dark horse bets look pretty enticing. The Eastern Conference champions, the New Jersey Devils are at 30/1 while the Washington Capitals are at 25/1. The Ottawa Senators also looks like a value bet at 40/1 and lastly, if you followed the NHL season this year, you probably remember that at one point in the 2011-2012 season, the team that was on top of the West was the Minnesota Wild.
And yes, they’re getting 75/1 odds. Could be worth a few units if you’re into the lottery.
2013 NHL Stanley Cup odds:
Pittsburgh Penguins: 7/1
Los Angeles Kings: 11/1
Vancouver Canucks: 12/1
New York Rangers: 12/1
Detroit Red Wings: 12/1
Chicago Blackhawks: 12/1
St. Louis Blues: 12/1
Philadelphia Flyers: 14/1
Boston Bruins: 14/1
Nashville Predators: 18/1
San Jose Sharks: 20/1
Anaheim Ducks: 25/1
Buffalo Sabres: 25/1
Tampa Bay Lightning: 25/1
Washington Capitals: 25/1
New Jersey Devils: 30/1
Colorado Avalanche: 35/1
Florida Panthers: 35/1
Toronto Maple Leafs: 35/1
Dallas Stars: 40/1
Ottawa Senators: 40/1
Phoenix Coyotes: 40/1
Winnipeg Jets: 40/1
Calgary Flames: 50/1
Carolina Hurricanes: 50/1
Edmonton Oilers: 50/1
Montreal Canadiens: 60/1
Columbus Blue Jackets: 75/1
Minnesota Wild: 75/1
New York Islanders: 75/1
