Will 2022 be the year that Canada breaks its Stanley Cup drought? When looking at the odds and the standings in the NHL, only a few Canadian teams are on track to have a chance to compete in the playoffs. Here are odds to win the Stanley Cup for NHL teams in Canada.
Which NHL Team Could End Canada's Stanley Cup Drought?
As of now, your best bet for Canadian teams is probably the Toronto Maple Leafs or Calgary Flames, with the preferred angle here to bet on the Flames. Calgary has shown to be more reliable scoring and better at slowing down opponents from doing the same. With a deep and loaded roster and strong goaltending, Calgary is a futures bet worth placing. Their odds are currently +1300 with the top betting apps in Ontario.
The next two Canadian teams with competitive odds are the Canucks and Oilers. Both teams are in the Pacific Division, and one is very likely to make the playoffs, possibly both. The key for these two teams is the Vegas Golden Knights continuing their slide. The Knights have been up-and-down for the past month, failing to score much. If they remain in a funk, Vancouver and Edmonton could find their way into the postseason.
Of the two, Vancouver seems to be the better betting option. Their goalie, Thatcher Demko, has displayed a stronger body of work, and the Canucks offense has come to life. Their NHL Stanley Cup odds at +10000 are tantalizing. If you placed $100 at those odds and they won the championship, you would win $10,000.
The Winnipeg Jets also have long odds at +10000, though they were at +15000 a week ago, showing that some are betting on their futures odds. It's hard to see the Jets making up enough ground in the Central division, particularly with the Colorado Avalanche leading the group. It's also unexpected to see the Senators or Canadiens making a playoff run, as neither are expected to make the playoffs.
Understanding Canada's Championship Drought
There's a well-documented curse as of late when it comes to Canadian NHL teams and the Stanley Cup. No team from Canada has won it all since the Montreal Canadiens in 1993, nearly 30 years ago. What's even more astounding is that despite the long drought, the Canadiens still have the most Stanley Cup wins (24) and appearances (35) among all NHL franchises by a large margin.
It's been 28 years since the last Canadian Stanley Cup win. The Montreal Canadiens defeated the Los Angeles Kings in 5 games in 1993, the start of one of the most notable championship droughts in the four major American sporting leagues. The same Canadiens franchise reached the Stanley Cup last season in 2021, losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games.
Prior to 2021, a Canadian NHL team had not reached the Stanley Cup Final since the Vancouver Canucks in 2011. The Canucks fell in 7 games to the Boston Bruins, their first Stanley Cup appearance since 1994. Moving backwards, there was a stretch of teams from Canada who made the finals in consecutive seasons, but the drought continued. The Ottawa Senators, Edmonton Oilers, and Calgary Flames reached the finals in three straight years from 2004-2007.
When is the 2022 Stanley Cup?
The NHL postseason begins in early May, and runs through the end of June. The most likely start date for the 2022 Stanley Cup is in mid-June. The Stanley Cup is a Best-of-7 series. Betting odds will change often during the last several weeks of the regular season. We will do our best to keep this page updated and provide the latest implied probabilities of various teams winning.
Most Stanley Cup Championships All-Time
🏆 Montreal Canadiens | 24 |
🏆 Toronto Maple Leafs | 13 |
🏆 Detroit Red Wings | 11 |
🏆 Boston Bruins | 6 |
🏆 Chicago Black Hawks | 6 |
Current Stanley Cup Odds: Overall Betting Favorites
You can see each NHL teams Stanley Cup odds on many sportsbooks, and there are a few Canadian teams in the mix amongst the favorites.
🏒 Colorado Avalanche | Current Odds: +400 |
🏒 Tampa Bay Lightning | Current Odds: +750 |
🏒 Florida Panthers | Current Odds: +800 |
🏒 Vegas Golden Knights | Current Odds: +1000 |
🏒 Carolina Hurricanes | Current Odds: +1000 |
According to NHL betting sites, the top five betting favorites are all American teams, beginning with the Colorado Avalanche at +400. Colorado has had an explosive offense and a stout defense for the entire season and will be tough to take down.
The Tampa Bay Lightning (+750) and Florida Panthers (+800) head up the top of the Eastern Conference. Both teams have elite offensive firepower and will be tough to keep up with in the playoffs this season. The Vegas Golden Knights are +1000 despite some mid-season struggles, and the Carolina Hurricanes have the same NHL Stanley Cup odds.