Canadian Teams Given 6-1 Odds to Break 27-Year Stanley Cup Drought in 2020
- No Canadian team has won the Stanley Cup since the Montreal Canadiens in 1993
- You can wager on that drought ending in 2020
- Only two of the seven (Toronto & Winnipeg) have a real shot to win the Cup next season
It’s been a long time since a Canadian team has won the Stanley Cup. The last team to do so was the Montreal Canadiens, who claimed it in 1993.
As we look towards the odds for the 2020 Stanley Cup next season, one sportsbook has posted a line on whether it will help. Is betting on Canada to end the drought a good bet?
Will a Canadian Team Win 2020 Stanley Cup?
| Will a Canadian team win the Stanley Cup in 2019-20? | Canadian Team Stanley Cup Odds |
|---|---|
| Yes | +600 |
| No | -900 |
*Odds as of 25/07/19.
Senators, Oilers, and Canadiens Are Not in the Running
Technically, there are seven teams in Canada that could satisfy this bet. However, the Senators, are one of them, and they have by far the longest odds to win the Stanley Cup, averaging out at +30000.
Meanwhile, the Canadiens and Oilers are not expected to even be in the playoffs. Their regular-season point totals have been set at 89.5 and 85.5, respectively.
Don’t factor those three teams into your evaluation.
Toronto Maple Leafs Have the Best Shot
The Leafs entered last season among the Stanley Cup favorites and they are in that role once again. They’ll be looking to get out of the first round for the first time in three seasons as the Boston Bruins keep being a thorn in their side.
The Leafs made some sizable changes this offseason as Nazem Kadri, Nikita Zaitsev, Patrick Marleau, Ron Hainsey and Tyler Ennis are gone. In are Tyson Barrie, Alex Kerfoot, Jason Spezza, Cody Ceci, Nick Shore, and a handful of others.
If they re-sign Mitch Marner and bring back Jake Gardiner, this team will be in the conversation for a Stanley Cup. Without Gardiner, they’re still there, but will need to add a blue liner at the trade deadline to round out the depth.
What About the Calgary Flames?
The Flames won the Western Conference last season but you can quickly cross them off this list. This is a team that finished the regular season last year 21st in save percentage and they haven’t resolved that issue. A David Rittich-Cam Talbot duo isn’t taking anyone to the Stanley Cup, regardless how good the rest of the roster is.
Winnipeg Jets Are Intriguing
The Jets are a team that had 114 points in the regular season two years ago and was supposed to be a Cup contender last year. They fell back to 99 points and then lost in the opening round. They still have to re-sign Patrik Laine and Kyle Connor this offseason but, even if they do, it feels like their team has been weakened.
The blue line lost defensemen Jacob Trouba and Tyler Myers, so that’s going to hurt. Trouba was second on the team in ice-time per game, while Myers was sixth. They also combined for 81 points. And don’t forget the team also lost Ben Chiarot – another 18 minutes of ice time per game – and depth forward Brandon Tanev.
The front office didn’t replace those players with much either. They’re still among the top 10/11 teams in the NHL, but it feels like they had a better shot last year than this year.
What’s The Best Bet?
I’d personally bet on the ‘No’ in this prop. When you do the math, there’s really only one Canadian team that has a shot to win the Cup next season. I do think the Maple Leafs are decent value at their current +1000 odds, but I’d place that bet on them straight-up rather than looping a bunch of useless teams into this prop.
Your best bet is to either bet on the ‘No’ if you don’t believe in Toronto or bet on the Leafs, individually.
For over 15 years, Dave has been working in mainstream media and sports betting. He hosted a station on Sirius Satellite Radio for four years, and is currently a senior writer for AskMen. He's interviewed hundreds of hundreds of high-profile sports stars like Shaquille O'Neal and Floyd Mayweather.
