Opening 2022 Stanley Cup Odds – Avalanche Favored; Kraken Debut at +5000

• Opening 2022 Stanley Cup odds have been released
• The Avalanche are the favorites, while the Lightning are +700
• See the opening 2022 Stanley Cup odds for all 32 teams within the story below

Opening 2022 Stanley Cup odds have been released following the conclusion of the 2020-21 NHL season. The Colorado Avalanche are the favorites, while the Tampa Bay Lightning are +700 to win a third consecutive championship in 2021-22.

The Montreal Canadiens have opened as heavy longshots after losing to the Bolts in the Stanley Cup Final. The NHL’s newest expansion franchise, the Seattle Kraken, are among the intriguing longshots available.

We layout the opening 2022 Stanley Cup odds for all 32 teams and provide early betting advice.

2022 Stanley Cup Opening Odds

Odds as of July 7th.

Can Avs Get Over Hump? 

The Colorado Avalanche have opened as the favorites in the 2022 Stanley Cup odds following another disappointing playoff performance. The Avs opened as co-favorites last offseason before losing in Round 2 of the playoffs to Vegas. Nathan MacKinnon and company have yet to make it out of the second round.

The Avalanche offer good value in the opening Cup odds considering they’ll be one of the most talented teams in the league once again. Cale Makar was a finalist for the 2021 Norris Trophy, while Philipp Grubauer provided stability in goal. The Avs are returning to a weak Central Division that they should dominate.

Nathan MacKinnon: Now streaming on Twitch*

*but you can find his highlights right here!#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/ImFFijcq2F

— z – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) July 5, 2021

While the Avs do have some big-name pending UFA’s like Grubauer, Gabriel Landeskog and Brandon Saad, there’s enough talent on this roster to contend. Considering players like Bowen Byram and Alex Newhook are ready for increased roles, there’s actually increased value on the Avs while these question marks remain.

Lightning A Favorite to Three-Peat

The Tampa Bay Lightning have opened at +700 in the 2022 Stanley Cup odds after capturing back-to-back championships in 2020 and 2021. The Bolts took down the Stars in the 2020 Final and beat the Habs in the 2021 Final. The last team to win three straight Stanley Cups were the New York Islanders in the 1980’s.

BRING. IT. OUT. 🏆 pic.twitter.com/w07PAnBjNC

— x – Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) July 8, 2021

This Tampa Bay team is the closest thing to a dynasty in the modern era and will be loaded once again in 2021-22. The core of goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, forwards Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov and defenseman Victor Hedman remains intact. All four players are still considered in the prime of their careers.

The Lightning have reached the Conference Finals in five of the past seven seasons. Jon Cooper’s squad is similar to the Chicago Blackhawks team that won three Stanley Cup between 2010 and 2015. There were depth changes each offseason in the Windy City, but the core remained intact and made them contenders every year.

Habs Underdogs Again

The Canadiens are listed at +2700 in the opening 2022 Stanley Cup odds after losing in five games to the Lightning in the Stanley Cup Final. Montreal is expected to have a talented team in 2021-22, but their path to the Final won’t be easy. The Habs will be returning to a stacked Atlantic Division that includes Tampa Bay, Toronto, Boston and Florida.

Le plus gros moment de l'année.

Biggest moment of the year.#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/SHWcL0Ed75

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) July 6, 2021

It’s no guarantee Montreal even makes the playoffs in 2022 now that they are rid of the all-Canadian division. Just because a team makes the Stanley Cup Final one year, doesn’t mean they automatically hold value as longshots the next year. The Dallas Stars reached the Cup Final in 2020 yet didn’t qualify for the 2021 Playoffs.

The big reason to stay away from the Habs this far out is the play of goalie Carey Price. The veteran netminder was outstanding in the opening three rounds of the 2021 Playoffs, but he struggled against Tampa Bay. Price can be a clutch playoff goalie, but his regular-season play has been declining, exemplified by his .901 save percentage in 2020-21.

Longshots to Consider 

Pouncing on longshots in the early Stanley Cup odds can be the key to scoring a huge eventual payday. Take the Lightning in 2021 as an example. The Bolts opened at +750 with some question marks surrounding Kucherov’s injury and the salary cap. Heading into Game 4 against Montreal, Tampa Bay was a whopping -5000 favorite.

The Carolina Hurricanes are one team that should benefit from the return to normal divisions in 2021-22. They managed to win a loaded East Division in 2021, but were handled by the Bolts in the playoffs. The Canes will be returning to the Metropolitan Division, where previous contenders such as Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Washington are trending downwards.

The Seattle Kraken at +5000 is also intriguing considering they haven’t even drafted their team yet. The Seattle expansion draft will take place on July 21st, 2021. The last NHL expansion team, Vegas, made it to the Stanley Cup Final in year one. While it’s unlikely Seattle has similar success, the best value for the Kraken is now before oddsmakers even know what they’re dealing with.

Another thing to consider is the Jack Eichel sweepstakes. The New York Rangers (+2500) and Los Angeles Kings (+5500) are believed to be frontrunners to land the Buffalo superstar in a trade this offseason. If Eichel is moved, the team that lands him will see a significant boost in their odds.