The 2022/23 NHL season is just around the corner, and fans will catch a glimpse of how each team will shape up during the preseason.
It was the Colorado Avalanche who reigned supreme in the NHL Stanley Cup Final last year, boasting a 2-1 victory over Tampa Bay Lighting in Game 6, subsequently ending the Lightning’s two-year run as the coveted trophy holders.
As always in the off-season, betters and punters alike all hedge their bets as to who they think will lift the Stanley Cup come the end of the season. If you fancy your own chances, you may want to consider placing your Ice Hockey bets with Lottoland, which features the current odds for the favourites and also any outsiders who could challenge the teams at the top.
1. Early favourite
It is no surprise that the current champions are at the top of everyone’s list to lift the Stanley Cup.
The Colorado Avalanche’s dominance during the regular season and play-offs led to their first championship victory in 21 years and has firmly cemented themselves in prime position to replicate their success again.
Mikko Rantanen, Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon played a standout role for the Avalanche last season and are expected to reach their lofty heights once more. However, some have raised questions around whether new incumbent goaltender Alexandar Georgiev can step up to the plate in place of the outgoing veteran Darcy Kemper who moved to the Washington Capitals.
Nevertheless, the Avalanche still have more than enough world-class players and staff to blow away their competition in this upcoming season.
2. Dark Horse
Despite missing out on the playoffs for the first time in their short career, the various factors which prevented the Vegas Golden Knights from reaching the playoffs were well known; injuries to key player such as Max Pacioretty, Reilly Smith and captain Mark Stone left too big of a hole to fill in the Golden Knights’ push for the playoffs.
Although they have since lost the service of their top scorer Pacioretty, it would be hard to believe that the injury issues which previously plagued them will once again wreak havoc on their team.
Now under the guidance of new coach Bruce Cassidy, many people are expecting to see a recuperated Vegas bounce back to the playoffs almost immediately.
3. Worthy challengers
Once again, the battle for the Stanley Cup is already anticipated to be a high octane encounter between the NHL’s finest teams.
While the Colorado Avalanche are favourites to retain the Championship for the second successive year, there are a number of teams vying to knock them off of their perch.
The Florida Panthers had the best winning record in the regular season going into the playoffs, however they succumbed to the Tampa Bay Lightning early on.
Many pundits have questioned the resolve of the Panthers going into the new season, especially after losing MacKenzie Weegar and Jonathan Huberdeau to the Calgary Flames, but their acquisition of Matthew Tkachuk has surely brought them back into contention for a shot at the title. The 24-year-old winger scored 42 goals for Calgary last year, and the added firepower he will almost certainly bring to the Panthers will help them should they reach the playoffs – the Panthers did not score more than one goal in any of their four games against the Tampa Bay Lightning in their playoff defeat last season.
Among many people’s favorites this year are the Carolina Hurricanes who topped the Metropolitan Division for the first time in their history last season. Rod Brind’Amour’s men have built upon their success last season by bringing in Brent Burns and Max Pacioretty, although the latter is ruled out for half of the season with an achilles injury.
Could this finally be the year that the Toronto Maple Leafs break their curse of bowing out in the opening round? It could be argued that the Maple Leafs should be nowhere near contenders if they are to continually repeat history, but when you have a player like Auston Matthews, you can never truly rule them out. Furthermore, Toronto has been bolstered by the arrival of goaltender Matt Murray, who featured heavily for the Pittsburgh Penguins during their two-year stint as Stanley Cup champions in 2016 and 2017; could he be the one who pushes Toronto over that elusive opening round line?
4. Eyes on the Hart Trophy
The coveted NHL MVP award is not decided before a puck has been dropped, but that doesn’t stop fans and betters alike from predicting who could claim the Hart Trophy beforehand.
It will not come as a surprise that last season’s MVP and runner up are leading the way once more. Auston Matthews 60-goal season just edged out Connor McDavid’s 123 point season, and the pair are neck and neck to battle it out once more. Can Auston Matthews put himself with Wayne Gretzky, Dominik Hasek and Alex Ovechkin by claiming consecutive MVP awards, or will McDavid top his fantastic previous season to claim the highest individual honour?
