Opening Odds to Win 2021 Stanley Cup – Lightning, Golden Knights and Avalanche Co-Favored

• You can already wager on which NHL team will win the Stanley Cup in 2021
• The Lightning, Avalanche, and Golden Knights have opened as equal +750 favorites
• See the odds for all 31 teams in the story below

After the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Dallas Stars to win this year’s Stanley Cup, odds were expeditiously released on which NHL team will win the Stanley Cup in 2021. The Bolts have opened as +750 co-favorites to repeat, with the Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights sitting at the same line.

The following table shows the opening 2021 Stanley Cup odds for all 31 teams.

2021 Stanley Cup Odds

Odds taken Sep. 28.

Bolts a Favorite to Repeat

The powerhouse Lightning are a favorite to repeat as Stanley Cup champions in 2021. The Bolts have one of the most talented cores in the NHL with forwards Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point, defenseman Victor Hedman, and goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy. No team over the last two years has more points than the Lightning.

THIS IS OUR TIME

YOUR TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING ARE STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS!!!!! pic.twitter.com/1trZdj2JPf

— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) September 29, 2020

Just like every other team in the league, the Bolts will have the tough task of navigating a flat salary cap during the pandemic. They may not be able to re-sign both of Mikhail Sergachev and Anthony Cirilli (pending RFAs), but it might not have a major impact in the long run.

This Bolts’ core is reminiscent of the Blackhawks’ core that led Chicago to three Stanley Cups between 2010 and 2015. While there were notable depth changes every offseason in the Windy City, the core of Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, and Duncan Keith remained intact and was strong enough to make Chicago a contender each season.

Avs, Golden Knights Best in West

The Golden Knights and Avalanche have also opened at +750 to win the 2021 Stanley Cup. The Knights looked like the best team in the league during the early stages of the NHL’s return-to-play, but they were stymied by red-hot goalie Anton Khudobin in the Western Conference final. They have made it to either the Western Conference final or Stanley Cup final in two of their first three seasons, so there’s no arguing their place on this list.

From the bottom of our hearts. For the endless support.

We love you, Vegas. #VegasBorn pic.twitter.com/fgXjWXzlG4

— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) September 15, 2020

The Avalanche were a popular Stanley Cup pick in 2020, mainly due to Hart Trophy-finalist Nathan MacKinnon. The Avalanche, like the Golden Knights, also bowed out at the hands of the underdog Stars in the playoffs. Goaltending proved costly for the Avalanche in that series, as both starters from the regular season, Pavel Francouz and Philipp Grubauer, suffered injuries and couldn’t play in the later games against Dallas.

The Avalanche are a great bet to make it to the Cup final in 2021. Forwards MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, Gabriel Landeskog, and Nazem Kadri, in addition to defensemen Cale Makar and Samuel Girard, are all under contract for next season. Solidify the goaltending situation and Colorado becomes a true powerhouse.

Sens, Red Wings Bottom of Barrel 

It’s no surprise that two of the worst teams in the NHL from 2019-20 are also at the bottom of the 2021 Stanley Cup odds. Detroit managed just 17 wins in 71 games this year, while’s Ottawa’s 82 wins over the last three seasons are the second-fewest in the league.

10.6.20 pic.twitter.com/XEbAdhhnE2

— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) September 18, 2020

It’s certainly fun to consider betting on a basement dweller at such long odds, but it isn’t even worth it for these squads considering they missed out on landing prized prospect Alexis Lafreniere due to an unprecedented draft-lottery format. Both Ottawa and Detroit are in the middle of rebuilds and won’t be contenders for some time.

Stars Among Intriguing Longshots 

There are some intriguing longshot picks that stick out in the early odds. Dallas is being listed at +2000 despite coming just two wins short of winning it all in 2020. A rising Canucks squad is listed at +2500 despite taking the powerhouse Knights to seven games in the second round.

Our incredible journey comes to an end@Lexus | #GoStars pic.twitter.com/zYBK2UdPCb

— Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) September 29, 2020

In the East, the Rangers at +2800 are an enticing bet. New York will be adding Lafreniere to a talented forward group that includes Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, and Kaapo Kakko. The Rangers looked like a legitimate contender during a 9-1-0 stretch in February, but they had their momentum halted by the pandemic.