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2020 NHL Stanley Cup Predictions with Futures Odds


by - 6/13/2019

Vladimir Tarasenko St. Louis Blues

As I write this, it hasn't even been 24 hours since the St. Louis Blues won the first Stanley Cup in franchise history. There are few things I like more in sports than watching a team win the Cup. The dogpile when the clock hits zero. The handshake line. Taking turns skating around with the Cup over their heads. The interviews that only wholesome small-town Canadians could give. It's a scene I played out in my driveway or on the neighborhood rink a million times as a kid, and it never gets old to watch. But as soon as the celebration shifts from the ice to the dressing room, our attention can shift somewhere else. It's never too soon to look to the future, and Bovada has already given us 2020 Stanley Cup futures to look at.

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Tampa Bay Lightning (+600): Fresh off a humiliating first-round sweep after a record setting opening round, the Lightning should be out for blood this year. They have a few contract issues to deal with, and that will likely force them to shuffle the decks a bit. And it wouldn't be above them to get a little aggressive, too. But the talent here is crazy, and they will be hungry. They were my choice last year, and at this point I am not going to change that. Hey - at least they will be well-rested going into next season after just four playoff games.

Vegas Golden Knights (+800): They had a bad break late in their series against San Jose and probably should have won it. This year they will have a full year of Mark Stone, which will be huge for them. And they have plenty of talent. My first reaction was that this price was a little generous, but I struggle to really explain why. I guess it must be reasonably fair, then.

Toronto Maple Leafs (+1000): The Leafs have had their Stanley Cup parade planned for the 50 years since they last had a chance to win one. There is no shortage of delusion around this team when it comes to fans - or management for the most part. Expectations were massive this year, but they ran out of gas in the final quarter of the season and again fell to Boston. They can score, but they can't defend at an NHL level - and they need to fix that in a hurry. And they are also going to have to pay Mitch Marner pretty much all of the world's money this summer. It's going to be a very tough offseason for the team. And until we see them get it totally right, I just can't justify this price.

Boston Bruins (+1000): They fell one game short of winning the Cup this year, and they aren't going to go away in a hurry. Some of their roster isn't getting any younger - most notably Zdeno Chara. But they are a deep and balanced team, and they aren't going anywhere. There isn't always a Stanley Cup hangover like we reliably see in the NFL, so that doesn't rule them out. At this moment I would call them the second-best team in the East - as I did heading into the playoffs - so this price seems fair.

Colorado Avalanche (+1200): I don't know if they will be ready to go all the way. However, if I could get a price for them winning it in the next three years, then I would be all over it. Their top line is the thing of nightmares - it's ferocious. Their young defense is strong already and only getting better as young talent comes along. And they will add a fourth overall pick in the draft this year. They put together a solid playoff run this year, and they will be very well-positioned to build on that. I am really high on this team - just maybe not quite yet.

St. Louis Blues (+1400): They won the Cup, and yet they are only the sixth choice to win it again. There isn't a lot of disrespect in that, though - even if it might seem like that. The Blues got incredibly hot. Early in January, they were dead last in the league, but then they forgot to lose. They rallied to get into a playoff spot and then just kept getting better. But it could be tough for them to repeat. A team can't stay that hot forever. And they relied heavily on rookie goaltender Jordan Binnington. But rookies in net don't always come through the next year - ask Andrew Hammond or Steve Penney about that. And the team needs to prove that they can play more consistently from the start. I certainly won't rule them out, but they will have a big target on their backs every night now, and things will be tough. The price is a touch lower than I'd like to see - and that's coming from someone who is very happy to have seen them win.

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