As the NHL enters an extended Christmas break, the Toronto Maple Leafs continue to lead all Canadian teams on the 2022 Stanley Cup odds, closely trailing the favourites as a +900 wager at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Idle since last Tuesday due to a coronavirus outbreak, the Christmas break comes at a good time for Toronto, which was already dealing with injuries to key personnel including Mitch Marner and Rasmus Sandin. However, the team has continued to produce. The Maple Leafs were the first team in the Eastern Conference to post 20 wins this season, and their 20-8-2 record had them deadlocked with Tampa Bay atop the Atlantic Division standings heading into Tuesday.
The Christmas break also comes at a good time for the Edmonton Oilers. A recent six-game losing streak bounced Edmonton from the top of the Pacific Division standings. However, with just four points separating them from first-place Vegas heading into Tuesday the Oilers have remained resilient on the Stanley Cup odds at +1600 at sports betting sites, ahead of their season-opening position at +2800.
Idle since Dec. 11, the Calgary Flames have also held their ground on the Stanley Cup odds despite riding a four-game losing streak. Currently tied with Edmonton at 36 points, the Flames have shown vast improvement compared to last season’s dismal performance, and closely trail the Oilers at +2500 on those NHL odds.
The dismal 5-8-2 run the Winnipeg Jets take into the holidays ultimately cost Paul Maurice his job as head coach, and has dumped the team to +4500 on the NHL futures. A recent coaching change has sparked a turnaround in Vancouver, where the Canucks have won eight of their past nine. However, Vancouver remains set as a +7500 wager on those futures.
The Ottawa Senators‘ recent resurgence has done little to boost their Stanley Cup odds, which remain stalled at +40000, while the Montreal Canadiens now lead only the Arizona Coyotes on the list as a distant +75000 wager.
It remains a tight race at the top of the Stanley Cup futures, with the Avalanche at +550 and the Lightning at +750, closely followed by the Golden Knights at +800. All three of those teams stumbled out of the gate this season, but have since regained their form. Vegas had won eight of nine games heading into Tuesday, while the Avalanche have avoided consecutive defeats while winning 13 of their past 17 outings.
The Florida Panthers round out the front of the pack at +1000, just ahead of the Carolina Hurricanes at +1200, while the Minnesota Wild and Washington Capitals are at +1600.
