A year ago, the Vegas Golden Knights literally had no players. Now, as the NHL's latest expansion team waits to see who it will play in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs after sweeping the Los Angeles Kings, the Golden Knights are the favorites to win it all.
Seriously.
If you thought Vegas loved itself some Vegas just after New Year's, you were right. When the upstart franchise stormed its way into playoff contention as the league's best expansion team in the history of hockey, oddsmakers had no choice but to put them among championship hopefuls. One series into their inaugural postseason run, however, the Golden Knights have already surpassed the defending Western Conference champion Nashville Predators and defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins as favorites to go the distance.
That's according to these odds released by Bovada this week:
Vegas Golden Knights: 9/2
Nashville Predators: 5/1
Tampa Bay Lightning: 11/2
Boston Bruins: 6/1
Winnipeg Jets: 15/2
Pittsburgh Penguins: 8/1
San Jose Sharks: 10/1
Columbus Blue Jackets: 18/1
Toronto Maple Leafs: 20/1
Washington Capitals: 20/1
Philadelphia Flyers: 40/1
New Jersey Devils: 50/1
Colorado Avalanche: 66/1
Minnesota Wild: 100/1
Anaheim Ducks: 125/1
