Just over a month before the end of the regular season, the defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning remain the odds on favorite to repeat and win the Stanley Cup at +550. The Colorado Avalanche (+650), the Toronto Maple Leafs (+650), and the Vegas Golden Knights (+700) round out the top four.
With roughly a week until the NHL trade deadline, these odds may change as teams in the hunt will be looking to make improvements. However, some of the biggest moves were made months ago before the season started.
Montreal Canadiens
Last season the Canadiens made the playoffs due to the expanded qualifying round, upsetting the Pittsburgh Penguins before bowing out to the Philadephia Flyers in 6-games in a series where they were shut out twice. General Manager Marc Bergevin made adding to his offense a priority during the offseason.
In October, Montreal traded popular forward Max Domi and a third-round pick to Columbus for winger Josh Anderson. A gamble given that Domi was the 3rd leading scorer for Montreal and Anderson was coming off the worst season of his career. Four days later Bergevin agreed to terms on a two-year contract extension with goaltender Jake Allen and signed free-agent center Tyler Toffoli to a four-year deal.
Toffoli played seven-and-a-half seasons with the Los Angeles Kings before a trade to the Vancouver Canucks last year. The offensive-minded forward had a total of 44 points in 68 regular-season games in 2019-20 and added another 4 points in seven post-season games for the Canucks.
The result saw the Canadiens start out the season 7-1-2 through their first 10 games. While a five-game losing streak to end the month of February and a record of 8-5-7 over their last 20 games saw them slide down to fourth place in the North Division, the Habs are still in playoff contention with games-in-hand and a large 8-point lead over both the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks.
Chicago Blackhawks
After a recent drought, the Hawks’ odds to make the playoffs dropped to +175, and it’s likely the team will miss the playoffs this season. But just being in contention for a playoff spot proves their moves in the offseason really improved their core squad.
Undrafted rookie goaltender Kevin Lankinen began the season as the third goalie in the depth chart, but solid displays between the pipes led him to the first string and the fourth place in the league in GAR among goaltenders. After a few years alternating between Swiss teams and NHL teams’ camps, winger Pius Suter has also been contributing to Chicago’s offensive production. In addition to the pickup of former Stars center Mattias Janmark, the Blackhawks have the second-most value from newcomers.
For a team that seemed destined to a bottom position, following several departures in the offseason and Jonathan Toews’ long-term illness, Chicago’s new signings definitely kept the team’s hopes for a playoff run.
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are on a mission for their first win in a playoff series since 1996, and the team’s core, consisting of Barkov, Huberdeau, Ekblad, and Yandle are posting solid numbers on the ice. But Florida might end their drought thanks to acquisitions made by new general manager Bill Zito in the offseason.
Zito traded defenseman Mike Matheson and center Colton Sceviour to the Penguins for winger Patric Hornqvist. With cost-effective contracts, he signed wingers Anthony Duclair and Mason Marchment and centers Alexander Wennberg and Carter Verhaeghe, which made it possible for the front office to pursue a deal with defenseman Radko Gudas.
Most of these additions exceeded expectations and gave Florida a nice boost in the standings. According to sportsbooks on this NHL page, the Panthers are at +450 odds to win the Central Division.
Toronto Maple Leafs
One of the best teams in this season so far, the Toronto Maple Leafs struggled in the past few weeks but remain a powerhouse in the North Division, and one of the favorites to lift the Stanley Cup at the end of the season.
Apart from stars in the likes of Auston Matthews and John Tavares, the Leafs are counting on good production from some newcomers as well. Michael Hutchinson, who was acquired in October via free agency, is the sixth-best backup goalie in the NHL this year. In the first year of a four-year contract, defenseman T.J. Brodie is playing really well. And winger Wayne Simmonds, who was on a hot streak before an injury in February and should be back soon, proved to be a good improvement to the fourth line.
Despite being led by a strong core of stars, Toronto wouldn’t be at +600 odds to win the Stanley Cup without contributions from their recent signings.