Welcome to the 2022-23 season preview as brought to you by Betway Sports. We’ll be taking a dive into each team’s offseason and what their Stanley Cup odds are for next season from the worst odds to the best. All odds are current as of the time of writing.
Calgary Flames Stanley Cup Odds: +1400
From the lowest lows to the highest highs, the Calgary Flames were right in the biggest stories of the offseason, all off-season long.
It started out with a devastating five-game loss to the Edmonton Oilers in the second round of the playoffs. Not long later, it shifted to the biggest question: would they be able to re-sign Johnny Gaudreau?
Not only did it end up with him leaving for the Columbus Blue Jackets for less money, but superstar linemate Matthew Tkachuk also wanted greener pastures. While Calgary couldn’t get anything back for Johnny Hockey, the Flames got a king’s ransom from the Flordia Panthers: Jonathan Huberdeau, MacKenzie Weegar, a pick, and a prospect.
Both UFAs after this year, Calgary has since signed Huberdeau to an eight-year deal paying him $10.5 million a year, while Weegar inked an eight-year, $6.25 millon AAV pact. Both deals kick in next season.
Those weren’t all. Calgary held their cards tight and on Aug. 18, they signed Nazem Kadri to a seven-year, $7 million AAV deal.
Not bad, all things considered. The Flames come into this season with many new faces and one of the top goaltenders in the league, Jacob Markstrom. While experts love the makeup of this team, I’m not convinced they’re better than they were last year.
The Flames are right in their cup window.
Are we betting on the Flames to win the cup? This team is worth a sprinkle. No matter how tepid I am, this team has elite talent in key places on their team. I, however, question the depth of the group as a whole.