Updated NHL Futures
The Chicago Blackhawks sit atop Bovada’s updated NHL futures list.
The Chicago Blackhawks remain perched at the top of the NHL futures list, according to online sportsbook Bovada.
The Blackhawks are currently listed at 13/2 to lift the Stanley Cup next year, down from 15/2 when the offseason commenced back in June.
The Windy City club isn’t likely to have things its own way though, not within the league or the Western Conference.
2014 Stanley Cup champions the Los Angeles Kings are closing the gap at the top of the list.
The Kings are listed at 9/1, odds that are down from 10/1 two months ago and good enough to see the side climb two spots in the bookmaker’s rankings.
The Boston Bruins remain the favorites to advance out of the Eastern Conference but the side’s 10/1 odds – good enough for third place on the futures list – are slightly longer than the 8/1 odds assigned at the beginning of summer.
Like the Bruins, the Pittsburgh Penguins have seen their odds lengthen, going from 9/1 on June 15 to 12/1 earlier this week.
The Anaheim Ducks and St. Louis Blues have also been assigned 12/1 odds on Bovada’s latest futures list. That figure represents an improvement for the Californian side, while the team from the Archway City has declined slightly.
At the other end of the spectrum, the Calgary Flames, Florida Panthers and Nashville Predators have all seen their odds lengthen from 66/1 to 75/1, meaning the Buffalo Sabres – also rated at 75/1 – now have some company in the NHL cellar.
Other teams to experience a significant drop-off include the newly re-monikered Arizona Coyotes, as well as the Carolina Hurricanes, Ottawa Senators and Winnipeg Jets, each of which saw its odds stretch from 50/1 to 66/1.
Odds of the New Jersey Devils winning the Stanley Cup have lengthened from 40/1 to 50/1.
Not everybody’s on the slide though.
With Jason Spezza now onboard, the Dallas Stars have seen their Stanley Cup odds slashed from 33/1 to 20/1, the largest cut so far this offseason.
Meanwhile, odd of the Tampa Bay Lightning hoisting the cup aloft have gone from 25/1 to 16/1, putting the side firmly in the Eastern Conference’s top four.
The Montreal Canadiens are nipping at Lightning skates though after seeing their odds trimmed from 25/1 to 18/1. The Habs are the highest ranked Canadian side on the list.
Postseason debutants this past year, the Columbus Blue Jackets have also impressed bookmakers enough to see 40/1 odds shortened to 33/1.
The 2014-15 NHL season will commence on October 8.
