It was a little telling to watch the New York Islanders and new head coach Patrick Roy head into the Bell Centre in Montreal last Thursday to play the Canadiens. The Habs played a video board salute to their former goaltending great; he got a standing ovation.
They’ll always love Roy in Montreal, in large part because he backstopped teams that delivered two Stanley Cups to them. And that’s where the “telling” part came in for all Canadian NHL fans, not just those who are fans of the Canadiens. In Canada, the so-called dominant power in the game worldwide, none of the NHL teams based there have won a Stanley Cup since Roy’s Habs beat the Wayne Gretzky-led Los Angeles Kings in 1993. That’s an extraordinary streak.
After a drought of 30-plus years, OntarioBets.com, as part of our Ontario sports betting coverage, asked the question, “Which team will break Canada’s Cup curse?” Using a mixture of recent team success, future odds, prospect pool rankings and contract status for players, we created hypothetical odds for which Canadian NHL franchise will win a Stanley Cup next.
Next Canadian Franchise To Win A Stanley Cup Odds
You won’t get these specific odds at even the best sports betting apps Ontario; they were prepared exclusively for OntarioBets.com.
As the NHL enters All-Star Week, and players get some time off, it’s a good time to take a hard look at each of the seven Canadian NHL teams and assess if this is the year that all of changes.
Teams Most Likely To End Canadian Cup Drought
The Edmonton Oilers (29-15-1, 59 points) have the shortest odds on our list at +250 – not surprising since they’ve won 16 straight, with superstar Connor McDavid hitting his stride (tied for fourth in league scoring, with 20 goals and 67 points in 43 games). Remember, our odds are tied to which team will win the next Stanley Cup for a Canadian franchise, not necessarily this year. However, we also have an NHL Stanley Cup odds page specific to this season.
The Toronto Maple Leafs enter Monday in fourth place in the Atlantic Division, at 25-14-8, for 58 points. There are questions looming about their goaltending and aging defense. Our odds for the Leafs to be the next Canadian team to lift the big hardware are +350. There are a lot of questions revolving around the Leafs going into the second half of the season, despite all-world play by Auston Matthews, who leads the league with 40 goals through 47 games. But they’re the Leafs, and that core four of Matthews, William Nylander, John Tavares and Mitch Marner is still capable of great things. Check out our Toronto Maple Leafs Stanley Cup odds for this season.
The Leafs are coming off two big wins in a row over the Winnipeg Jets, who have been a surprise story in the NHL this season. Winnipeg is backed by an All-Star goalie (Connor Hellebuyck) and the Jets (30-12-5, 65 points) sit just two points out of first place in the Central Division, behind the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars. The Jets are at +500 on our odds board to end Canada’s dry spell by capturing their first Stanley Cup.
Longshots To Win Next Canadian Stanley Cup
The future does not appear to be quite as bright in NHL betting for the remaining teams in the land.
The Montreal Canadiens (20-21-8, 48 points, seventh in the Atlantic) are well-coached, and have a young, up-and-coming team with a talented core, led by Cole Caufield. They are at +700 in our odds. We especially like the Habs for future seasons because of the strength of their prospects – The Athletic recently had their farm system ranked No. 6 in the NHL. There’s a ton of talent coming that will augment what’s on the NHL roster.
The Vancouver Canucks (33-11-5, 71 points, first in the Pacific Division and in the West) have been rolling all season, another surprise. They are at +900 to be the next Canadian team to win it all and, considering their great form, they have terrific betting value. At NorthStar Bets Ontario Sportsbook, Vancouver has +1500 odds to win the Stanley Cup this season.
The Ottawa Senators (18-25-2, 38 points, last in the Atlantic) are like the Canadiens. They are young and have a talented core, but are not strong contenders this season. Ottawa recently made a coaching change, bringing back Jacques Martin, and sit at +1750 in our odds.
We deem Calgary the longest shot to end Canada’s wait for a title, at +2500 odds. The Flames (22-22-5, 49 points, sixth in the Pacific Division) have struggled this season, playing at a .500 pace. They are a candidate to jettison a few of their most expensive veterans before the March 8 trade deadline.
Is this the year where the no-Cup streak for Canadian teams is finally broken? We can’t think of a better opportunity. OntarioBets.com gives you insight on new online casinos in Ontario as well as continued sports coverage.
