The NHL regular season is slowly winding down and the fun of the Stanley Cup playoffs is just around the corner. As most hockey fans know, the playoffs are an entirely new season. The teams that excelled during the regular season aren’t always the same teams that have success in the playoffs. On more than one occasion, a team has made a Cinderella run to the championship after being one of the last teams to make the playoffs.
By finding the right Cinderella, hockey bettors can earn a big pay day. There are several Canadian betting sites accepting new users where bettors can make a long-term wager. But after finding the right site, it’s crucial to assess the odds to determine who’s the favorite in the market. Let’s take a look at some of the long-shot wagers for this year’s Stanley Cup champion that could be worth making.
Las Vegas Golden Knights, +1300
It’s almost hard to call the Golden Knights a sleeper at this point. After all, they’re the reigning Stanley Cup champions. They’ve also done nothing but surprise people and exceed expectations since they became a franchise. On the other hand, they’re still not a lock to even make the playoffs, which is why they can be considered a sleeper pick. Keep in mind that being a lower seed will also give Las Vegas a more challenging path to get back to the Stanley Cup Finals in the Western Conference, despite their favorable +1300 odds.
However, the Golden Knights were one of the most aggressive teams at the trade deadline. They added a couple of difference-makers to a team that already returns a lot of championship experience from last year. Don’t forget that the Golden Knights began the season with a 12-game unbeaten run. It may have been a long time ago, but that showed just how good Las Vegas can be. The Golden Knights also won eight of their last 11 games in March, so they are once again heating up at the right time of year.
Tampa Bay Lightning, +2500
The Lightning are in the difficult position of fighting over a Wild Card spot late in the season. They’ll probably get to the playoffs, although their pathway to the Finals won’t be an easy one. But based on Tampa’s recent track record, this isn’t a team to overlook. After all, the Lightning has played in the Stanley Cup Finals in three of the last four seasons, winning the cup in both 2020 and 2021. There is still plenty of playoff experience on the roster, from their two championship teams which could make them a dangerous team.
Tampa’s secret weapon in the playoffs will surely be goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy. He missed the early part of the season after undergoing back surgery, but he finally appears to be getting back to his pre-injury form. A goalie like Vasilevskiy can carry a team in the playoffs, specially with veterans like Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos also on the roster. That’s a strong core that knows how to win in the playoffs. Furthermore, the Lightning was nearly perfect in March, going 9-1-1. That’s a strong indicator that they’re rounding into form and starting to play like a championship team just before the playoffs.
Nashville Predators, +4000
Since the all-star break, the Predators might be the best team in the NHL. Between mid-February and late March, Nashville put together an 18-game unbeaten streak. That has put the Predators in a prime position to at least grab a Wild Card spot. If the Predators can ride that momentum into the playoffs, they’ll be a team that nobody wants to play. Keep in mind that the Stanley Cup Playoffs can be determined by momentum as much as anything else, which makes Nashville an intriguing long shot.
As a franchise, the Predators haven’t won a playoff series since 2018. They’ve consistently underperformed since losing the Stanley Cup Finals in 2017. However, Nashville’s roster has a healthy dose of players who have experienced playoff success in recent years, including Ryan O’Reilly, Ryan McDonagh, and Luke Schenn. Likewise, team leaders Roman Josi and winger Filip Forsberg were with the Predators during their run in 2017. Josi and Forsberg continue to be the team’s biggest stars and have one of the best supporting casts Nashville has seen in a long time, including goalie Juuse Saros, who has a shot to win the Vezina Trophy. All of the pieces are there for the Predators if they can keep building on their momentum of the past two months.
