It has been 30 years since a Canadian NHL franchise has won the Stanley Cup. So OntarioBets.com asked the question, “Which team will break the curse?” We used a mixture of recent team success, future odds, prospect pool rankings and contract status for players. OntarioBets.com created these hypothetical odds for which Canadian NHL franchise will win a Stanley Cup next; these odds are not at any Ontario sportsbook apps operator.
Remember, these odds are not on who will win the Cup this year – only the Oilers, Maple Leafs, Jets and Canucks made the playoffs – but which of Canada’s seven NHL franchises will end the drought at some point. The Montreal Canadiens were the last Canadian team to win the Cup, in 1993.
Odds On Next Canadian Stanley Cup Winner
Superstars Lead Oilers To Contention
At the top of our list is a team that’s also one of the favorites to win this season’s Stanley Cup with Ontario sports betting operators, the Edmonton Oilers.
The Oilers have the consensus pick as the best player on the planet, three-time Hart Trophy winner Connor McDavid. They also have talented forwards such as Leon Draisaitl, who also has been a league MVP, and wing Zach Hyman, who had a career high with 54 goals this season to place third in the race for the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy.
Edmonton had four of the top 31 players in the league in points, including defenseman Evan Bouchard. And goaltender Stuart Skinner tied for third in the NHL with 36 wins this season, to go along with a .905 save percentage and a 2.62 goals-against average.
NorthStar Bets Ontario Sportsbook lists Edmonton with +800 odds – as of April 19, the day before the playoffs begin – to win its first Stanley Cup since 1990. We rate the Oilers as a +250 favorite (or 28.6% implied probability) to be the next Canadian team to win a title heading into their first-round best-of-seven series against the Los Angeles Kings.
Maple Leafs Seek To End Own Drought
The Toronto Maple Leafs are less concerned about ending a 30-year nationwide Stanley Cup drought than they are about ending their own much longer wait for a title. The organization has not even been to a Cup final since 1967, the last time they won the trophy. We offer Toronto Maple Leafs Stanley Cup odds at OntarioBets.com.
The Leafs head into their first-round matchup with the Boston Bruins as a team that’s somewhat hard to read. Toronto won eight out of 11 games from March 20 to April 9, not only solidifying their postseason spot but clinching third place in the Atlantic Division. But shortly after clinching, the Leafs slid backward, losing their last four games while giving up at least five goals in each game. We give them +300 odds (25% implied probability) of returning to the NHL summit for the first time in a couple of generations.
Can Jets Or Canucks Win First Title?
The Winnipeg Jets are next on our list with +500 odds (a 16.7% chance) to be the next Canadian team to win a Stanley Cup. Caesars Ontario Sportsbook offers +1800 odds on them to win it all this year, good value for a team that had 110 points and ended the season on an eight-game winning streak.
Winnipeg is rock solid at the most important position on the ice. Connor Hellebuyck has won one Vezina Trophy as the league’s best goaltender, in 2019-20, and has made a solid case to win the honor for a second time this season. Hellebuyck was second in the NHL with 37 wins, and among goalies who started at least half of their team’s games he was first in save percentage (.921) and third in GAA (2.39).
The Vancouver Canucks have +1500 Stanley Cup odds with BetMGM Ontario Sportsbook heading into their first-round series against the Nashville Predators.
Like the Jets, Vancouver seeks its first NHL championship. Unlike the Jets, the Canucks have reached a Cup final – in fact they’re 0-3, having lost at the last hurdle in 1982, 1994 and 2011. Vancouver has the most final appearances for any team that has not lifted Lord Stanley’s big prize. We give the Canucks +700 odds (12.5%) of ending Canada’s Cup drought.
Other Teams Wait Another Year
Of the three Canadian teams that missed the playoffs this year, we give the Montreal Canadiens (+1000 odds) the best chance of ending the nation’s wait for a Stanley Cup. The website thehockeywriters.com rated the Habs as the eighth-best farm system in the sport as of January. The Calgary Flames (+1750) missed the playoffs by 18 points in the Western Conference and their farm system is rated in the middle of the pack. That’s more than we can say about the Ottawa Senators (+3000), whose farm system was rated dead last. They missed the last wild-card spot in the East by 13 points and have not made the playoffs since 2017.
