Oddsmakers still favor Chicago Blackhawks to win 2015 Stanley Cup
A brush with the salary cap ensures that the Blackhawks won't boast the depth on opening night that they do today, but that hasn't stopped one bookmaker from installing the 2014 Western Conference finalists as the favorites to capture the 2015 Stanley Cup.
In fact Bodog, the online gambling giant, likes Chicago better today than it did back in early July in the wake of free agency, bumping them from 7/1 to 13/2. The Blackhawkis were one of four teams whose odds improved over the course of the summer. The Wild, the Lightning and the Canadiens were the others.
The most noteworthy change on today's line was the preseason darling Stars dropping from 18/1 to 20/1—someone must have finally realized that Sergei Gonchar and Jordie Benn are still a big part of the blue line in Dallas. Extreme front office makeovers and adherence to the Church of FancyStats could not save the Canucks and the Maple Leafs from dropping down to 40/1.
And while Bodog doesn't say so, it looks like they have the Sabres, the Flames, the Panthers and the Predators in a dead heat (75/1) for the Connor McDavid sweepstakes.
Here's a look at those numbers, along with Bodog's line on conference and divisional titles:
TEAM ODDS ON 7/9/14CURRENT ODDS
Chicago Blackhawks 7/1 13/2
Los Angeles Kings 9/1 9/1
Boston Bruins 10/1 10/1
Anaheim Ducks 12/1 12/1
Pittsburgh Penguins 12/1 12/1
St. Louis Blues 12/1 12/1
San Jose Sharks 14/1 14/1
Minnesota Wild 18/1 16/1
New York Rangers 16/1 16/1
Tampa Bay Lightning 18/1 16/1
Colorado Avalanche 18/1 18/1
Montreal Canadiens 20/1 18/1
Dallas Stars 18/1 20/1
Detroit Red Wings 22/1 22/1
Philadelphia Flyers 28/1 28/1
Columbus Blue Jackets 33/1 33/1
Toronto Maple Leafs 33/1 40/1
Vancouver Canucks 28/1 40/1
Washington Capitals 40/1 40/1
Edmonton Oilers 50/1 50/1
New Jersey Devils 50/1 50/1
Carolina Hurricanes 66/1 66/1
New York Islanders 50/1 66/1
Ottawa Senators 50/1 66/1
Arizona Coyotes 50/1 66/1
Winnipeg Jets 50/1 66/1
Buffalo Sabres 75/1 75/1
Calgary Flames 75/1 75/1
Florida Panthers 75/1 75/1
Nashville Predators 66/1 75/1
Odds to win Eastern Conference
Boston Bruins 3/1
Pittsburgh Penguins 5/1
New York Rangers 15/2
Tampa Bay Lightning 15/2
Montreal Canadiens 17/2
Detroit Red Wings 10/1
Philadelphia Flyers 14/1
Columbus Blue Jackets 16/1
Toronto Maple Leafs 20/1
Washington Capitals 20/1
New Jersey Devils 28/1
Carolina Hurricanes 33/1
New York Islanders 33/1
Ottawa Senators 33/1
Buffalo Sabres 40/1
Florida Panthers 40/1
Odds to win Western Conference
Chicago Blackhawks 7/2
Los Angeles Kings 5/1
Anaheim Ducks 6/1
St. Louis Blues 6/1
San Jose Sharks 15/2
Minnesota Wild 9/1
Colorado Avalanche 10/1
Dallas Stars 11/1
Vancouver Canucks 22/1
Edmonton Oilers 28/1
Arizona Coyotes 33/1
Winnipeg Jets 33/1
Calgary Flames 40/1
Nashville Predators 40/1
Odds to win Atlantic Division
Boston Bruins 7/4
Tampa Bay Lightning 4/1
Montreal Canadiens 9/2
Detroit Red Wings 6/1
Toronto Maple Leafs 8/1
Ottawa Senators 10/1
Buffalo Sabres 16/1
Florida Panthers 16/1
Odds to win Metropolitan Division
Pittsburgh Penguins 9/4
New York Rangers 7/2
Philadelphia Flyers 11/2
Columbus Blue Jackets 13/2
Washington Capitals 7/1
New Jersey Devils 9/1
Carolina Hurricanes 12/1
New York Islanders 12/1
Odds to win Pacific Division
Los Angeles Kings 7/4
Anaheim Ducks 11/4
San Jose Sharks 9/2
Vancouver Canucks 15/2
Edmonton Oilers 9/1
Arizona Coyotes 10/1
Calgary Flames 14/1
Odds to win Central Division
Chicago Blackhawks 7/4
St. Louis Blues 3/1
Minnesota Wild 11/2
Colorado Avalanche 11/2
Dallas Stars 15/2
Nashville Predators 12/1
Winnipeg Jets 12/1