The 2024 NHL season has officially ended, and man, what a magical season it truly was. The Florida Panthers were the Stanley Cup Champions. For the other 31 teams, it’s time to start thinking about the 2025 Stanley Cup.
The 2025 Stanley Cup Champion odds have been released, so let’s examine where the best value is.
With free agency and trades, a lot can change over the Summer, but there are some teams to watch.
Vegas Golden Knights +1600
The Golden Knights’ exit in the playoffs was a tough one. Vegas jumped out to a 2-0 series lead over a very strong Dallas Stars team, but ultimately, the 2023 champions came up just a little short in Game 7 after seeing that lead disappear. The Golden Knights always seem to be an aggressive organization when it comes to adding pieces, just like they did at this year’s trade deadline by adding Tomas Hertl and Noah Hanifin.
Vegas is a team loaded with talent, and perhaps a first-round exit wasn’t the worst thing for them going into next season after winning the Stanley Cup the year prior. A longer summer could be beneficial in the long run, but there aren’t many concerns with this team. They have a variety of weapons up front—Jack Eichel, Hertl, Mark Stone, and William Karlsson. However, they have some Unrestricted Free Agents as well—Jonathan Marchessault, Anthony Mantha, and Chandler Stephenson—who could potentially end up in different places.
In goal, the Golden Knights are set up for the season with Adin Hill and Logan Thompson, despite the fact that they’re both going into a contract year. They put up similar stats this season. Hill played most of the games and boasted a .909 save percentage and a 2.71 goals-against average. Thompson put up very similar numbers, skating to a .908 SV% and a 2.70 GAA.
The Golden Knights will be back, and they will be a legitimate Cup contender.
New York Rangers +1200
The Rangers made their second Eastern Conference Final in the last three seasons. What separates New York is their goaltending. Igor Shesterkin is becoming the most reliable net-minder in the entire NHL, and his numbers back that up. This postseason, Shesterkin finished with a .927 SV% and a 2.34 GAA but also had a second-best +13.1 goals saved above expected. The Rangers finished as the President’s Trophy winners, awarded to the regular season points leader, but you can expect them to make some necessary changes going into the 2024-25 season. A big need for the Rangers is finding a true first-line right winger. That has been a hole for them for quite some time and has been an area they’ve looked to address at the trade deadline for the past three years. Look for them to add a key piece or two this summer, as their GM Chris Drury is not planning on running it back with the same group. That said, Artemi Panarin, Vincent Trocheck, and Alexis Lafreniere are coming off of career-best seasons and were arguably the league’s best line at 5-on-5.
Peter Laviolette will be in his second full season behind the bench, and he has shifted the mentality and changed the culture of the New York Rangers.
Colorado Avalanche +1200
The Colorado Avalanche didn’t waste any time after the Stanley Cup was awarded to make some news. They just announced that they have extended Casey Mittelstadt to a three-year deal to strengthen their depth down the middle. Like many other organizations, the Avalanche has some moves to make and things to figure out. Still, one thing that remains constant is having Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and Mikko Rantanen to build around. The main concern for Colorado is in goal, but Alexandar Georgiev is also entering a contract year.
Colorado has one of, if not the most, high-flying offenses in the NHL. They finished last season as the league’s highest-scoring team, averaging 3.68 goals per game. There’s no reason to believe they won’t be able to do that again. They also have a relatively strong blue line, but will they be able to put it all together like they did in 2022? I have faith in this group, especially if they get their captain Gabriel Landeskog back. He has not played a game since they won the Stanley Cup two years ago due to injury.
As long as this Avalanche core stays intact, they will find ways to build around those three key players. Colorado will be right at the top of the league yet again.
2025 Stanley Cup Odds via DraftKings
Florida Panthers +900
Dallas Stars +900
Edmonton Oilers +950
New York Rangers +1200
Colorado Avalanche +1200
Carolina Hurricanes +1200
New Jersey Devils +1300
Vegas Golden Knights +1600
Toronto Maple Leafs +1600
Vancouver Canucks +2000
Boston Bruins +2000
Winnipeg Jets +2000
Los Angeles Kings +2200
Tampa Bay Lightning +2500
Ottawa Senators +3300
Nashville Predators +3500
Detroit Red Wings +3500
St. Louis Blues +4000
Pittsburgh Penguins +4000
New York Islanders +4000
Buffalo Sabres +4000
Minnesota Wild +4500
Philadelphia Flyers +5000
Seattle Kraken +6000
Washington Capitals +7500
Montreal Canadiens +7500
Utah Hockey Club +7500
Calgary Flames +7500
Chicago Blackhawks +15000
Columbus Blue Jackets +15000
Anaheim Ducks +15000
San Jose Sharks +30000
