NHL futures betting: Two teams to back for the Stanley Cup
The NHL season is underway, and now is the time to hitch our wagons to a few horses in the Stanley Cup futures market. Be sure to explore the various sportsbooks, there are varying promotions at play here if you place a futures bet.
Here's two teams we are expecting big things from in 2023-24, to help guide your decision making.
New Jersey Devils (+1000 FanDuel)
New Jersey delivered above expecations last year, which spawned a mid-season trade for star Timo Meier. Meier joined Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt to form an exciting batch of scoring options in Jersey, fueling a playoff series win over the rival New York Rangers.
A year later, and the Devils aren't going to catch anyone by surprise, but that's a good thing. This is a team teetering on the precipice of greatness, well-balanced on both ends. The Devils were one of the most explosive teams last year in terms of shots, and they also tended to do a good job limiting other teams trying to do the same.
The addition of Tyler Toffoli is all the better here to form one of the best top three lines in the league. As long as goalie Vitek Vanacek can get back to the strong goaltending he showed last year, this team has all the pieces to make a deep postseason run.
Edmonton Oilers (+1100 FanDuel)
At some point, this Edmonton team needs to get over the hump and win it all. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have won three of the past four Hart Trophies, but individual success only gets you so far in this sport.
These two were first and second in the NHL last year in points, and their prowess on the power play was a big reason why the Oilers were one of the league's best teams.
They need to be better defensively as a team, and it sounds like they're implementing a new zone defense scheme to accomplish exactly that.
The Oilers reached the Western Conference Finals two years ago and lost in the second round last season. The one silver lining to those playoff exits is that they fell to the eventual Stanley Cup champion both times.
They have the stars, and Stuart Skinner grew stronger between the pipes as the year went on. They need more balance, but their elite offense and power play are going to put them in a position to win it all by the time May rolls around.
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