Lightning Have 4-1 Odds to Win Presidents’ Trophy in 2019-20, and 3-2 to Lose in 1st Round Again

• Tampa Bay became the first team ever to win the Presidents’ Trophy and get swept in Round 1
• All of the Lightning’s key pieces are expected to return in 2019-20
• They have +400 odds to win the President’s Trophy again next year, and +150 odds to lose in the first round in 2020

The Tampa Bay Lightning suffered one of the most shocking playoff defeats in sports history in the 2019 NHL postseason, getting swept by the Columbus Blue Jackets in Round 1.

No team in history has ever won more regular season games, yet they couldn’t even muster a single W in the playoffs.  There’s nothing to do now but to look ahead to next season.

Books have already listed odds that Tampa will repeat as Presidents’ Trophy champions and that they’ll be ousted in Round 1 for a second straight year.

Odds Lightning Are Eliminated in First Round of 2020 Playoffs

*odds 4/17

How much of a long term effect will this loss have on the Lightning? They put up 128 points in the regular season, which was 21 more than any other team, but again couldn’t get the job done when it counted.

This core has disappointed in the past, but nothing nearly as embarrassing as this defeat.  Will they learn from this failure or will it be a crippling blow that results in the roster getting blown up in the future?

We don’t have any words and we know you don’t want to hear them.

We understand your anger, your frustration, your sadness. Everything you’re feeling – we get it.

This isn’t the ending we imagined, and certainly not the one we wanted. Thank you for being there the entire way.

— x – Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) April 17, 2019

The futures bet isn’t asking much out of the Lightning: they just need to win one round next year. Considering most of their lineup will remain intact, it’s likely they win the division and again face a wild-card team. They were a -340 favorite to advance past Columbus when the series started. Even with tempered expectations next year, Tampa’s first-round series price is likely to be a little shorter than -200 when the 2020 playoffs arrive.

I’m included to treat this like the Virginia basketball team. They were the first team ever to lose in the 1st round as a #1 seed and followed that up by winning the NCAA Tournament this year with largely the same roster.

Expect something similar from Tampa Bay in 2020. They might not win the Stanley Cup, but I’d certainly expect them to reach the 2nd round.

PICK: NO (-200)

Odds Tampa Bay Wins the 2019-20 Presidents’ Trophy

Here’s where the real value is on the board.  The Lightning lapped the field this year and will keep all of their key pieces in Nikita Kucherov, Steven Stamkos, Victor Hedman and Andrei Vasilevskiy.

Can any of the other teams in the NHL make up ground and take the regular-season crown from them? Sure. But you’re getting +400 to side with Tampa Bay not having a drastic slide. There’s no evidence that one will come, playoff debacle notwithstanding.

"If you don’t accomplish your goal of winning it all, it’s a failure. We don’t care about what happened in the regular season."#TBLvsCBJ Game 4 | Steven Stamkos: pic.twitter.com/QqOW66dw4l

— x – Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) April 17, 2019

Stamkos can claim all he wants that they don’t care about what happens in the regular season, but he knows as well as everyone else that finishing in top spot means something. It gives you an easier run in the playoffs and also provides home-ice advantage. Just because the Lightning didn’t take advantage this year doesn’t mean they won’t want every edge they can get next year.

Take the value and expect them to be in the mix again in 2019-20.

PICK: YES (+400)