Blue Jackets’ Stanley Cup Odds Improve After Signing Johnny Gaudreau in NHL Free Agency

• The Columbus Blue Jackets signed superstar Johnny Gaudreau in NHL Free Agency
• The Jackets’ 2023 Stanley Cup odds immediately improved following the signing
• Read below to see how signing Gaudreau impacts Columbus’ Stanley Cup odds

The Columbus Blue Jackets have won the Johnny Gaudreau free agency sweepstakes. Columbus shocked the hockey world when they announced the signing on the opening day of NHL Free Agency (July 13).

Oddsmakers were quick to adjust Columbus’ betting odds following the transaction. The Blue Jackets saw drastic improvement in their 2023 Stanley Cup odds, although they still remain longshots.

Let’s analyze how the Gaudreau signing impacts the Blue Jackets’ Stanley Cup odds and the Eastern Conference NHL futures.

 2023 Stanley Cup Odds

Odds as of July 13, 2022, at FanDuel Sportsbook. 

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Gaudreau Choses Columbus in Free Agency

Gaudreau signed a seven-year deal with the Blue Jackets worth $68.2 million. The 28-year-old announced Tuesday he would not be returning to Calgary after nine seasons spent with the Flames. “Johnny Hockey” reportedly turned down a very lucrative offer from Calgary management.

Gaudreau is from the state of New Jersey, so many speculated he wanted to play somewhere closer to home. The New Jersey Devils and Philadelphia Flyers became frontrunners to land Gaudreau in the NHL Free Agency odds.

Johnny Gaudreau has signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets, per @FriedgeHNIC pic.twitter.com/6GmX2Wt4jU

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) July 13, 2022

Gaudreau choosing Columbus is a bit puzzling considering the Blue Jackets have really struggled the last few seasons. If Columbus is going to turn it around, however, signing a superstar like Gaudreau is a great place to start.

Gaudreau is coming off a career-best 115-point season that made him a contender in the Hart Trophy odds. Oddsmakers know Gaudreau’s impact, as they immediately updated the Blue Jackets Stanley Cup odds after the signing went through.

Blue Jackets’ Stanley Cup odds After Signing Gaudreau

Columbus entered 2022 NHL Free Agency with +10000 odds to win the Stanley Cup at FanDuel Sportsbook. The Blue Jackets Stanley Cup odds improved to +7500 after signing Gaudreau. While that’s a notable shift, Columbus is still bottom-10 in the Stanley Cup odds.

Columbus finished sixth in the Metropolitan Division last season with 81 points in 82 games. They were 20 points out of a playoff spot. Even after signing Gaudreau, the Blue Jackets have the worst odds (three-way tie) to win the Metro in the NHL Divisional odds.

The Blue Jackets remain longshots in the Stanley Cup odds because they haven’t won a playoff series since 2019. They also have to re-sign RFA forward Patrik Laine, which is another reason oddsmakers are hesitant to bolster their betting odds.

Re-signing Laine would give Columbus two elite offensive stars, but they still need to get much better to be considered an elite NHL contender. The Blue Jackets allowed the fifth-highest number of goals against in 2021-22, which is an area they have yet to improve this offseason.

Verdict on Blue Jackets’ Stanley Cup Odds

The Gaudreau signing is huge for Columbus, but it doesn’t mean you should immediately bet the Blue Jackets in the 2023 Stanley Cup odds. CBJ is still lacking elite defense and goaltending, which is something many of the best NHL teams possess.

Johnny Gaudreau is headed to Columbus, just as we all drew it up.

The Blue Jackets add an elite winger and one of the best passers + forwards at generating offense in transition. He's worth a lot more than that $9.8M cap hit. pic.twitter.com/Lpi2iWaphl

— Shayna (@hayyyshayyy) July 13, 2022

Columbus is worth monitoring in the odds to make the NHL Playoffs, but it’s best to pump the brakes on anything more. Since CBJ entered the NHL in 2000, they’ve only won a single playoff series. It will take a lot more than Gaudreau to change those fortunes in Ohio.

Columbus’ division foe, the Carolina Hurricanes, acquired both Brent Burns and Max Pacioretty in NHL Free Agency. The Canes are the favorite to win the NHL Metro Division and are just one of many teams standing in Columbus’ way in 2023.