3 Best Bets to Win the 2023 Stanley Cup

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One of my favorite things about sports betting is that there is always an opportunity to look ahead to the future. Hours after the Colorado Avalanche won the 2022 Stanley Cup, odds for the NHL’s 2023 champion were already posted at various sportsbooks.

While I took some time to celebrate my futures bet victory on Colorado at +550, I’ve already turned the page to next season.

Before we get into my early Stanley Cup future bets, let me make something clear. The NHL Draft and free agency haven’t occurred. Things are going to change drastically between now and next week. On the one hand, this presents us with opportunities to get better prices on teams before they make upgrades. On the other, it’s a reminder to tread lightly. 

That said, here are the teams I’m targeting as my early bets to win the 2023 Stanley Cup.

All odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook

Check out our consensus odds for 2022-23 Stanley Cup Champion >>

Carolina Hurricanes: 14/1

Sometimes young, up-and-coming NHL teams need to learn from playoff setbacks. We just saw it happen with the Avalanche, a highly talented team that needed to get over the postseason hump, and Carolina could be the team to follow Colorado’s path in 2022.

The Hurricanes suffered a second consecutive exit in the second round of the playoffs at the hands of the New York Rangers. But this team is still loaded with top-end talent and has a wide-open window for contention. Carolina skated to the fourth-best expected goals for percentage at 5-on-5 play in the league.

The 2022 offseason will be a pivotal one for the ‘Canes. They’ll have about $20 million in cap space but tough decisions to make on a handful of pending free agents, most notably forwards Vincent Trochek, Martin Necas, and Nino Niederreiter as defensemen Ian Cole, Tony DeAngelo, and Brendan Smith.

There are also questions between the pipes. Frederik Andersen put up a tremendous season, but there seems to be a rift between him and the organization after he missed the entire postseason with a knee injury. Backup Antti Raanta played admirably in relief but also got injured during the postseason.

Given the uncertainty surrounding Carolina’s roster, it may be best to wait and see what they do this offseason before making a wager. However, if you’d prefer to try and get ahead of a major acquisition, now is the time to strike.

Minnesota Wild: 18/1

Minnesota’s first-round exit resulted from a lack of depth production and disappointing goaltending from trade deadline acquisition Marc-Andre Fleury. But despite the setback, Minnesota has a solidified roster built to contend in the West that needs refinements. The Wild posted the sixth-best expected goals for percentage in the league at 5-on-5, and they finished only six points behind the Cup winners last season.

Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello are studs, and the Wild have a strong blue line headlined by Jonas Brodin, Jared Spurgeon, and Jacob Middleton. The Wild will need to find a replacement for Kevin Fiala, who they shipped to Los Angeles for prospect Brock Faber and a first-round pick.

Minnesota also needs (and has needed for years) a reliable goaltender that can take them over the top. Fleury was a disappointment after being acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks at the deadline. And Cam Talbot is more of a solid backup than a true No. 1 goalie.

The problem is Minnesota is a bit crunched for cap space due to the buyouts of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, which account for about 15% of their space. If the Wild can make some savvy moves to bolster the rest of their roster, they could give Colorado a run in the West.

Boston Bruins: 22/1

Boston fell short in the playoffs because of a lack of scoring depth. However, this team has a magnificent core: Charlie McAvoy, Hampus Lindholm, Brad Marchand, Taylor Hall, and David Pastrnak (assuming he signs a long-term deal). It’s a good enough group to win with if the right tweaks are made.

Boston is also under new management after firing Bruce Cassidy and replacing him with Jim Montgomery, who served as Dallas’ head coach before being fired in his second season for unprofessional conduct.

The biggest question facing Boston this offseason is the future of Patrice Bergeron. The outstanding two-way center turns 37 this month and could be mulling retirement after an injury-plagued season. Once Bergeron decides his fate, it’ll be up to Boston general manager Don Sweeney to bolster this roster with more goal scorers. If he can succeed, this team has the talent to make a deeper postseason run.

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