The NHL season is in the final week, with 11 of the 16 spots in the Stanley Cup Playoffs already claimed. Even as the playoff picture remains a little cloudy, one thing remains clear to the oddsmakers in Las Vegas: The Washington Capitals are the odds-on favorite to win the Stanley Cup.
According to Bovada, the Capitals (17/4) have the best odds for lifting Lord Stanley come June. The Los Angeles Kings, however, have become the favorite to come out of the West, overtaking the Chicago Blackhawks who now sit with the third best odds.
Seventeen teams remain on the board for betting purposes when it comes to who will win the Stanley Cup. The Colorado Avalanche are still technically alive in the playoff hunt, but they were among the teams taken off the board by Bovada.
Here’s a look at how the odds shake out for the remaining 17 teams per Bovada:
Washington Capitals – 17/4
Los Angeles Kings – 7/1
Chicago Blackhawks – 15/2
Anaheim Ducks – 8/1
Dallas Stars – 9/1
Pittsburgh Penguins – 9/1
St. Louis Blues – 9/1
San Jose Sharks – 16/1
New York Rangers – 18/1
Florida Panthers – 20/1
Tampa Bay Lightning – 20/1
Detroit Red Wings – 28/1
Minnesota Wild – 28/1
Nashville Predators – 28/1
New York Islanders – 28/1
Philadelphia Flyer s – 28/1
Boston Bruins – 50/1
The oddsmakers also handicapped some of the individual awards that won’t be announced until after the season is over.
Patrick Kane (1/5) remains the clear favorite to take home the Hart Trophy, while Sidney Crosby (10/3) and Braden Holtby (6/1) are in the mix as well. The very divisive rookie of the year race could be interesting to watch, but Artemi Panarin of the Blackhawks remains favored at 1-to-5. Connor McDavid (7/2) and Shayne Gostisbehere (5/1) are also listed.
Maybe the most intriguing trophy fight of them all is for the Norris, though. There are no less than four legitimate candidates to not only finish as finalists, but to win. Erik Karlsson seems like the easy choice at 11-to-10, but Drew Doughty (7/5), Brent Burns (17/2) and Kris Letang (17/2) all have pretty compelling cases to finish among the best.
Meanwhile, Holtby remains favored for the Vezina with Corey Crawford (11/2) and Jonathan Quick (9/1) also listed. The Rocket Richard Trophy is a two-player race with Alex Ovechkin (1/5) owning a two-goal advantage over Patrick Kane (3/1) as the season’s end draws near.
