Stanley Cup odds update: Biggest movers after season's opening weeks
Time flies, doesn't it? It feels like hockey just arrived and yet we're approximately 10% through the 2021-22 NHL season.
While still dealing with a small sample size, we have an indication of which teams will perform above and below expectations.
Let's take a look at the biggest risers and fallers in terms of Stanley Cup odds.
| TEAM | ODDS (NOV. 1) | ODDS (OCT. 10) |
|---|---|---|
| Colorado Avalanche | +550 | +500 |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | +800 | +600 |
| Florida Panthers | +900 | +1800 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | +900 | +1100 |
| Carolina Hurricanes | +1000 | +2000 |
| Vegas Golden Knights | +1000 | +600 |
| Boston Bruins | +1200 | +1400 |
| Edmonton Oilers | +1400 | +3000 |
| Minnesota Wild | +1800 | +2500 |
| New York Islanders | +1800 | +1800 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | +2400 | +2500 |
| Washington Capitals | +2700 | +2500 |
| St. Louis Blues | +2800 | +5000 |
| New York Rangers | +3000 | +2500 |
| Dallas Stars | +3500 | +2500 |
| New Jersey Devils | +5000 | +5000 |
| Winnipeg Jets | +5000 | +4000 |
| Calgary Flames | +5500 | +6000 |
| Philadelphia Flyers | +5500 | +2500 |
| San Jose Sharks | +6000 | +15000 |
| Seattle Kraken | +7000 | +5000 |
| Chicago Blackhawks | +8000 | +6000 |
| Montreal Canadiens | +8000 | +4000 |
| Vancouver Canucks | +8000 | +4000 |
| Los Angeles Kings | +10000 | +5000 |
| Nashville Predators | +10000 | +8000 |
| Detroit Red Wings | +11500 | +10000 |
| Ottawa Senators | +15000 | +10000 |
| Columbus Blue Jackets | +20000 | +20000 |
| Anaheim Ducks | +30000 | +20000 |
| Arizona Coyotes | +30000 | +20000 |
| Buffalo Sabres | +30000 | +30000 |
Florida Panthers (+1800 to +900)
The Panthers have bonafide stars Aleksander Barkov, Jonathan Huberdeau, and Aaron Ekblad, and a ton of quality depth to properly complement them. Goaltending was supposed to be the big concern. However, Sergei Bobrovsky currently leads the league in goals saved above expected (+13.5), and highly touted rookie Spencer Knight has predictably held his own. While Bobrovsky is unlikely to sustain this level of play, he's looked like a different version of himself. That's huge for Florida's chances.
Carolina Hurricanes (+2000 to +1000)
Carolina has been on the brink of something special for a couple of years now. They appeared to take a step back when they balked at paying Dougie Hamilton - who has been spectacular for New Jersey thus far - in the offseason and elected to go with a Frederik Andersen/Antti Raanta one-two punch in goal. Apparently not! The Hurricanes are off to a miraculous 8-0-0 start and have yet to show an Achilles heel. They rank second in the NHL in goals scored and no team has conceded fewer. Andersen and, to a lesser extent, Raanta are big reasons why. They've combined to give the Hurricanes the league's best save percentage.
Edmonton Oilers (+3000 to +1400)
The Oilers are off to a remarkably strong start. They own a 6-1-0 record and have controlled better than 57% of the expected goals across all game situations. Connor McDavid seems poised to take another step forward, averaging 2.28 points per game in the early going. Zach Hyman has fit like a glove, scoring six goals in seven games, while Jesse Puljujarvi looks destined for a breakout campaign. The emergence of Evan Bouchard has helped stabilize the defense as well. If the goaltending holds up, the Oilers are going to be a problem.
Biggest fallersMontreal Canadiens (+4000 to +8000)
You'd be hard-pressed to draw up a worse start for the Canadiens. They've picked up just two wins in 10 games and have looked alarmingly bad in the process. Montreal was a strong five-on-five team for years, which helped mask some of its shortcomings with finishing and special teams. That has not been the case this season.
The Canadiens rank 22nd in shot attempt share and 24th in scoring chance share thus far. Combine that with poor special teams and it's no wonder the Habs are consistently leaving the ice pointless. They've scored only four power-play goals in 56 minutes on the man advantage and no team has conceded more goals while killing penalties. The Canadiens are going to have a tough time turning it around in a potent Atlantic Division.
Vancouver Canucks (+4000 to +8000)
The Canucks made a lot of moves in the offseason to try and improve the present product. To this point, the likes of Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Conor Garland haven't been enough to keep the team afloat. The Canucks have won just three of nine games thus far and looked vulnerable in the process. They've controlled just 42% of the expected goals share at five-on-five, which is good for dead last in the NHL. They're getting out-chanced to the point where strong goaltending from Thatcher Demko isn't enough to get results. If things don't improve, and fast, this team isn't going to come close to making the playoffs.
Philadelphia Flyers (+2500 to +5500)
Philadelphia is off to a strong 4-2-1 start but it appears to be smoke and mirrors. They rank 32nd in five-on-five chance share and 30th when it comes to high-danger opportunities. To this point, unsustainably high percentages have covered up the blemishes. The Flyers are first in the NHL in five-on-five shooting percentage and have benefited from a .938 save percentage in those situations. When their shooting luck dries up, I don't have much faith in Carter Hart and Martin Jones to pick up the slack.
Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.
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