The 2021-22 NHL season is coming to a close this month, with the regular season officially concluding on April 29, before the playoffs get underway on May 2. This is the first time that the full eighty-two game season has been played since the start of the COVID pandemic back in 2019. Since then, a lot has happened in the world of hockey, and this season has seen lots of action and a welcome return of the biggest games and best players.
The playoffs will get underway next month, but there are still a lot of games to be played. At the end of the season, the top teams from each division will enter the playoffs to decide which team lifts the Stanley Cup. The postseason is scheduled to end on or before June 30, with the best team of the season being crowned by then.
Stanley Cup 2022 Favorites
After the trade deadline passed on March 23, the Betway odds for each team’s chance of winning the Stanley Cup were updated. These odds could change again between now and the end of the season, especially with regular games still left to play.
With their trade deadline transactions, the Avalanche and Panthers solidified their place as Cup favorites. Colorado has led the league in scoring almost since the start of the season, and the side has the best record in the league. As the first-placed team in the Western Conference, they have a great chance of making the playoffs and potentially winning the finals too.
Tampa Bay is the third-best bet in the league at +800 to three-peat, according to sportsbooks. The Lightning could be on their way to becoming the first club since the Islanders in the early 1980s to win their third consecutive Cup.
Western Conference Favorites
The Western Conference is much more of a two-horse race, with the main contenders being the Colorado Avalanche and the Calgary Flames. The Avalanche are currently out in the lead, with a sizeable points advantage over the flames. Sportsbooks have them at odds of +165 to win the Conference, but an upset could still occur. The Flames are in second place at odds of +400, while the Vegas Golden Knights are +650.
Eastern Conference Favorites
The Eastern Conference is currently the closest in terms of which teams could win. There isn’t a lot to separate the top sides right now, with only a few points in it and a lot of games left to play. The Florida Panthers are currently the favorites, with odds at +275 to win the Eastern Conference. However, there are seven other clubs with +900 odds or better. These include the Tampa Bay Lightnings + 400, the Carolina Hurricanes +500, and the Toronto Maple Leafs +600. As clubs enter the last quarter of the season, the Conference is still wide open.
Andrei Vasilevskiy #88 of the Tampa Bay Lightning
2022 NHL Stanley Cup Predictions
The traditional playoff structure will return in 2022, with the Conference’s top club facing the second wild card, the other division winner facing the first wild card, and No. 2 facing No. 3 in an inter-divisional contest. It’s never easy to predict which teams will go through the playoffs, especially when it has been a close season for a lot of teams.
The team that wins the Stanley Cup is often the team that has been most consistent throughout the season. Right now, that looks to be the Colorado Avalanche. Right now, they’re favorites to win the Cup, but it’s also hard to look past the Florida Panthers, who are on the verge of a third straight season reaching the playoffs.
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