The next season of the NHL is going to begin soon. The 32 teams are going to battle it out in 82 total games culminating in the Stanley Cup in June 2024. Indeed, it’s a little early to make any bold claims and predictions—So, we’re going to limit ourselves only to dependable statistical analysis.
Now, we’re going to be relying not just on transfer news and current team form but also on some other factors. For example, anyone who’s invested in NHL will know that the oddsmakers know it the best.
Their predictions for match outcomes and overall team performance are simply unparalleled. We’re going to use odds from Bodog, one of the most reliable and competent sports betting platforms out there.
Current Odds
As per the latest NHL series odds from bodog.eu, here’s a breakdown of the top teams and their chances at the next Stanley Cup:
- Carolina Hurricanes: +900
- Toronto Maple Leafs: +900
- Colorado Avalanche: +1000
- Edmonton Oilers: +1000
- New Jersey Devils: +1000
- Vegas Golden Knights: +1100 (current champions)
- Boston Bruins: +1200
- Dallas Stars: +1400
- New York Rangers: +1400
- Florida Panthers: +1600
- Los Angeles Kings: +2000
- Tampa Bay Lightning: +2000
- Minnesota Wild: +2500
- Buffalo Sabres: +3300
- Calgary Flames: +3300
- Pittsburgh Penguins: +3300
- Seattle Kraken: +3500
- Ottawa Senators: +4000
- New York Islanders: +5000
- Vancouver Canucks: +5000
- Detroit Red Wings: +6600
- Nashville Predators: +6600
- St. Louis Blues: +6600
- Washington Capitals: +6600
- Winnipeg Jets: +6600
- Chicago Blackhawks: +8000
- Columbus Blue Jackets: +10000
- Anaheim Ducks: +15000
- Philadelphia Flyers: +15000
- Arizona Coyotes: +25000
- Montreal Canadiens: +25000
- San Jose Sharks: +25000
This time around, one thing you’ll notice is that the majority of the good teams are in the sub-2000 bracket. This is always a good sign for the fans as it foretells competitive action during the playoffs.
There’s also an unprecedented level of parity in the league for the 2024-24 season, particularly in the +1100 to +1600 range. The Avalanche have only clinched the Cup once, but they are in good standing—Good enough to be right on top with the league’s heavyweights.
Most notably, the fate of the Maple Leafs is a little bit uncertain, accentuated by their drastic lineup changes. They have remarkable talent, and that cannot be doubted, but there’s just something lacking in terms of stability. If they can crack the formula, they can become truly formidable contenders in the upcoming season.
Looking at the Edmonton Oilers now, the team has the world’s finest skating duo in Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid, but is the team ready to address the many problems in its defense?
The current odds shows that the field is highly competitive, with several teams vying for the championship. The Carolina Hurricanes and Toronto Maple Leafs lead the pack with +900 odds, closely followed by the Colorado Avalanche, Edmonton Oilers, and New Jersey Devils, all at +1000.
The reigning champions, the Vegas Golden Knights, stand at +1100, while other formidable teams like the Boston Bruins, Dallas Stars, and New York Rangers are not far behind.
Our Favorites
So, overall, there’s a lot of uncertainty when it comes to the favorites. Naturally, our outlook now shifts to a different team.
The 2022-23 NHL season undoubtedly saw the New Jersey Devils emerge as an unexpected storyline. While the Panthers’ remarkable journey to the Stanley Cup Final may overshadow this fact, the remarkable performance of Jack Hughes and his team can’t be ignored.
The Devils took center stage this season after a season with the third-fewest wins in the Eastern Conference. They led the Metro Division finishing just one point behind the Carolina Hurricanes by the season’s end—A significant feat by all measures.
The team also has a strong balance in its stats which we always like. Well-rounded stats always make winning teams. With 112 points, the Devils easily surpassed the likes of the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Maple Leafs.
Now, we must note the obvious here. Toronto and Edmonton both excel in offense, whereas Carolina and Dallas have an impressive defense that’s hard to break into. But that just might be the reason why the Devils take home the win this time with perfect balance.
Headed by Hughes, they ranked as the league’s fourth-highest scoring team while also maintaining the eighth-lowest goals against per game.
We strongly think that it was their comparative inexperience and youth as a team that held them back from a deeper run. And that’s all changed now. It’s worth monitoring the Timo Meier situation following his midseason trade, but even without him, Hughes appears poised for a future Hart Trophy win.
Dougie Hamilton and Ondrej Palat add further depth to the team’s lineup, and these veterans will be instrumental in any good plays and victories during the NHL’s 2024-24 playoffs season.
We are also closely monitoring the Carolina Hurricanes. The Hurricanes were very successful in hampering the Devils throughout the year. But that was mainly due to the lack of a physical approach from the Devils.
With that problem more or less fixed (hopefully completely fixed in the coming months), the Devils could well become serious contenders for the Stanley Cup next year.
In Conclusion
It’s hard to derive concrete conclusions just yet, but we’ve been monitoring the situation closely and looking at the stats. And all the signs for the Devils to be a strong contender for the Cup are there.
As the NHL season unfolds, fans and enthusiasts will eagerly watch as the drama unfolds on the ice, waiting to see if the New Jersey Devils can rise to the occasion and etch their name in the annals of hockey history. Only time will tell how the team improves and whether or not it succeeds in the playoffs.
