It’s only been a couple weeks since the Vegas Golden Knights hoisted the Stanley Cup, yet teams are beginning to make moves in the offseason for next year’s NHL campaign.
Rumors are going around, rosters are becoming clearer, and contenders start to emerge. Among them, two NY-area teams in the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers. Here are the early candidates and their odds to win the 2023-2024 Stanley Cup, according to NY sportsbook FanDuel.
Top 2024 NHL Stanley Cup Odds
| TEAM TO WIN 2023-24 STANLEY CUP | ODDS | 2022-23 RESULT |
| Colorado Avalanche | +800 | First-Round Loss to SEA |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | +1100 | Second-Round Loss to FLA |
| Edmonton Oilers | +1100 | Second-Round Loss to VEG |
| New Jersey Devils | +1300 | Second-Round Loss to CAR |
| Boston Bruins | +1300 | First-Round Loss to FLA |
| Vegas Golden Knights | +1300 | Stanley Cup Champion |
| Carolina Hurricanes | +1300 | Conf. Final Loss to FLA |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | +1300 | First-Round Loss to TOR |
| New York Rangers | +1500 | First-Round Loss to NJ |
| Dallas Stars | +1700 | Conf. Final Loss to VEG |
The most interesting part about this list is the sheer number of teams with +1300 odds. This indicates that there is truly a toss-up as to which teams could emerge as true favorites to hoist the Stanley Cup. The Boston Bruins had a historic regular season in the 2022-2023 season, but they flamed out in the first round, losing to the Florida Panthers in seven games. Meanwhile, the Panthers are not in the top 10 in odds to win the Stanley Cup despite reaching the Cup Final.
Additionally, the Golden Knights, who not even a month ago won the Stanley Cup, are not the clear-cut favorites in the early odds. Ivan Barbashev is facing unrestricted free agency, but Vegas has already extended netminder Adin Hill. The core of Jack Eichel, Mark Stone, and Jonathan Marchessault is still there.
The big takeaway for NY hockey fans is the belief in the Devils and Rangers. The Devils took down the Rangers in the first round of the playoffs this past season. Both teams showed major promise and gained valuable experience in the 2022-2023 campaign. Overall, the Devils overachieved last year. After reaching the Eastern Conference Final in 2021-22, the Rangers’ first-round exit was a disappointment for the Blueshirts.
Pros and Cons to Betting on the New Jersey Devils at +1300
The Devils entered 2022 as a young team with tons of promise, and they took a big leap. New Jersey finished the regular season second in the Metropolitan with 112 points, one point shy of the division winner in the Carolina Hurricanes. It was the first time the Devils made the playoffs since the 2017-2018 season.
Jack Hughes led the way last season with 99 points. New Jersey made a midseason trade with the Sharks and acquired Timo Meier, who put up 14 points in 21 regular season games with the Devils. New Jersey had four 70-point scorers, but still had to figure out what to do with pending free agents like Jesper Bratt, Eric Haula, and Timo Meier.
If Your Bet Wins
Bratt was supposed to enter restricted free agency but re-signed with the Devils for eight years. On top of that, Haula agreed to a three-year extension, and New Jersey traded for 11-year veteran Tyler Toffoli. Plus, Timo Meier signed an eight-year extension. The core from last season remains intact.
An offense headlined by Hughes, Haula, Meier, Bratt, and Nico Hischier is scary for opposing defenses. The goalie position is still a question given the inconsistent play in the playoffs. However, the high-powered offense, and return of defenseman Dougie Hamilton–who had over 50 assists last season but missed the playoffs with an injury–should put the Devils in position to make a championship run.
Pros and Cons to Betting on the New York Rangers at +1500
New York acquired Patrick Kane and Vladmir Tarasneko this past trade deadline, and now the two are pending free agents with not much to show for it after the first-round exit. Plus, young forward Alexis Lafrienere and defenseman K’Andre Miller are eyeing restricted free agency.
New York also fired coach Gerard Gallant and hired Peter Laviolette. The new coach won the Stanley Cup as the head man for the Hurricanes in 2007 and also made it to the Stanley Cup Final with the Philadelphia Flyers in 2010 and Nashville Predators in 2017.
If the Rangers can re-sign Lafreniere and Miller, they should be in contention again this season. It might be difficult to re-sign Kane and Tarasenko given the limited cap space, but Laviolette carries a winning pedigree. Plus, the core is still in place with Artemi Panarin, Adam Fox, Mika Zibanejad, and goalie Igor Shesterkin.
