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Oddsmakers believe Knights have golden opportunity to win 2nd Cup
LV REVIEW JOURNAL SUBSCRIPTIONThe Golden Knights have a golden opportunity to win their second Stanley Cup in three years.
The Knights are 7-1 favorites at the Westgate SuperBook, topping a group of 10 teams with odds of 12-1 or less to win the NHL championship.
“There’s no real great team,” Westgate SuperBook oddsmaker Ed Salmons said. “The top two point getters this year were Washington and Winnipeg, which I don’t think anyone in the world had those two as (having) the two most points.
“It’s definitely wide-open.”
The defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, Colorado Avalanche, Carolina Hurricanes and Winnipeg Jets are behind the Knights at 8-1 at the Westgate. The Toronto Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lighting are tied at 10-1, while the Dallas Stars, Washington Capitals and defending Western Conference champion Edmonton Oilers are all 12-1.
The Knights are +850 at Caesars Sportsbook and at BetMGM.
“I think the Knights have a real shot this year. They seem as polished a team as there is in the league right now,” Salmons said. “So much of it is getting on a roll and keeping your guys healthy. Just doing good on special teams, getting good goaltending and a good defensive structure, and that’s what the Knights do.
“They seemingly have as good a chance as anyone, I believe.”
The Knights, after lifting the Cup in 2023, lost in the first round to the Stars last year. They opened at 15-1 odds at Caesars Sportsbook last summer to win the 2025 NHL title.
Salmons said bettors didn’t back the Knights as much as in years past after they lost several key players in free agency. The departures included center Chandler Stephenson, defenseman Alec Martinez, left wing William Carrier and right wing Jonathan Marchessault, the 2023 Conn Smythe Trophy winner for playoff MVP.
“Their odds were higher during the summer when they lost all those guys and there was uncertainty how that team would look,” Salmons said. “And once we started seeing them play, it was like, ‘It’s the same old Knights.’
“They’ve got a great defense, they’re good up the middle, they’ve got the best power play in the league and they’ve got (right wing) Reilly Smith back, who helps them.”
A few of the favorites will be eliminated in the first round because of the NHL’s playoff format, which pits the second- and third-place teams in each division against each other.
“It’s a playoff format that’s unusual,” Salmons said. “In the first round, Dallas is going to play Colorado, so someone’s out right away. In the Atlantic (Division), Tampa is going to play Florida and one of those teams will be out right away.
“The Kings will play the Oilers for the fourth straight year. Edmonton has been really banged up and has really struggled since that (4 Nations Face-Off) tournament. It looks like this year is going to be the Kings’ best chance to beat them.”
Winnipeg also might be headed for an early exit unless it can reverse the so-called curse of the Presidents’ Trophy, which is awarded to the team that finishes with the most points in the regular season. Only eight of the first 38 Presidents’ Trophy winners have won the Stanley Cup. The last team to win both was the 2013 Chicago Blackhawks.
No beast in East
Florida is a favorite to repeat largely because it is the reigning champion and getting healthy for the playoffs.
“The East, to me, looks pretty weak. When Washington has your most points, that doesn’t say a lot to me about the whole conference,” Salmons said. “They had a great regular season but I wouldn’t put any trust in Washington doing anything in the playoffs. There are so many teams in the East that, on paper at least, are seemingly somewhat equals. You have Toronto, Tampa, Florida, Carolina — the team that always disappoints — and Washington, which had the big regular season.
“The hottest team right now is probably Montreal, who’s the eighth seed. They’ve been playing great hockey and they’re 4-0 against Florida this season.”
The Kings are 18-1 to win the Cup, followed by the St. Louis Blues and Ottawa Senators at 40-1, the New Jersey Devils and Minnesota Wild at 50-1 and the Canadiens at 80-1.
“The Knights do have the pedigree of being in the playoffs and just grinding through the series,” Salmons said. “They’ll be a tough out.”
