The NHL 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs are in full swing. With two days in, expect a lot more drama. We are just getting started and there are potentially going to be some upsets along the way. That is the nature of not only sports, but also the nature of those who decide to bet on sports, especially on teams to win it all.
There are score predictions for each and every NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs game by the analysts. Other than predicting the scores for each and every game, who has the best odds currently to win the 2022 Stanley Cup?
Colorado Avalanche +300
The Colorado Avalanche are a well-oiled machine and their offensive firepower was off and running in Game 1 against the Nashville Predators. It could potentially be a very quick series for Colorado and maybe sweep Nashville out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The problem with this hockey team in the past has not been the first round. It has been getting passed the second round and they have not done it in a very long time. The last time they were in the Western Conference Finals was back in 2002 against the Detroit Red Wings.
Colorado is loaded with Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, Nazem Kadri, Cale Makar, Samuel Girard, and others. Darcy Kuemper might be the goalie that finally gets them to the promised land. Jared Bednar is the head coach of this hockey team.
Florida Panthers +550
The Florida Panthers have the second-best odds to win the 2022 NHL Stanley Cup title at the moment. If Florida goes down 0-2 in the best-of-seven series against the Washington Capitals, those odds for the Panthers might change in a hurry.
However, we should expect them to bounce back in Game 2 and potentially win this series even if it goes seven games and potentially wins it all. There is no such thing as things being easy in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
They have Aleksander Barkov, Jonathan Huberdeau, and other players that makeup four elite lines and they can score at any moment. The blueline is solid led by Aaron Ekbald, but the biggest question for them will be can Sergei Bobrovsky make the big saves. If not, then head coach Andrew Brunette is probably going to have to switch to Spencer Knight in net.
Calgary Flames +650
The Calgary Flames have the third-best odds to win the 2022 NHL Stanley Cup title at the moment. Calgary’s offense struggled in Game 1 against the Dallas Stars, but they won. Jacob Markstrom has been solid all year for the Flames in net.
Elias Lindholm, Johnny Gaudreau, and Matthew Tkachuk are their three best offensive players. Their blueline is structurally sound. Daryl Sutter, their head coach, has tons of playoff experience before.
That experience will help big time. The Calgary Flames don’t have to play in a tough Western Conference. Calgary might be a cakewalk to the Western Conference Finals though because the Pacific Division is not very strong at all though however.
Toronto Maple Leafs and Carolina Hurricanes +800
The Toronto Maple Leafs and the Carolina Hurricanes both have the fourth-best odds to win the 2022 Stanley Cup title. As for Toronto, they have not won a first-round playoff series since 2004. The Maple Leafs are led by Auston Matthews and Mitchell Marner.
Will Toronto’s blueline be able to hold up against the Tampa Bay Lightning and potentially beyond after dominating them in Game 1? Jack Campbell posted a shutout and can he keep it rolling in net? Sheldon Keefe is the head coach of this hockey team.
Carolina has not won it all since 2006. They were just in the Eastern Conference Finals in 2019. The Hurricanes swarm teams like pests. Carolina has young talent and key role players. They also have stars like Sebastian Aho, Teuvo Teravainen, and Andrei Svechnikov.
Antti Rannta has been the goalie since Frederik Andersen has been out due to injury. Their current backup goalie is Pyotr Kochetkov. Rod Brind’Amour is the head coach of this hockey team.Â
