The 2015 playoffs are officially in the books and it didn’t take long before the focus started to shift to the 2015-16 campaign. Online bookmaker Bovada released its odds and they’re putting the chances of the Blackhawks winning their fourth Stanley Cup in seven years at 7/1.
It goes without saying that it’s always hard to successfully defend a Stanley Cup championship, but Chicago’s task will be particularly daunting as it will have to navigate some rough waters this summer. With Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews matching eight-year, $84 million contracts set to kick in, the Blackhawks have about $64 million committed to 14 players for 2015-16, per General Fanager.
After reaching at least the Conference Final in three of the last four years, the New York Rangers ranked second with 8/1 odds. The Anaheim Ducks, which took Chicago to seven games in the Western Conference Final, are third at 10/1. The St. Louis Blues and Tampa Bay Lightning rounded out the top five with matching 12/1 odds.
At the bottom of the pack are the Buffalo Sabres, Carolina Hurricanes, and Arizona Coyotes at 100/1.
Here’s how all 30 teams stack up:
Chicago Blackhawks 7/1
New York Rangers 8/1
Anaheim Ducks 10/1
St. Louis Blues 12/1
Tampa Bay Lightning 12/1
Los Angeles Kings 14/1
Minnesota Wild 14/1
Montreal Canadiens 14/1
Pittsburgh Penguins 14/1
Boston Bruins 16/1
Nashville Predators 16/1
Washington Capitals 18/1
New York Islanders 22/1
Winnipeg Jets 25/1
Columbus Blue Jackets 33/1
Detroit Red Wings 33/1
Edmonton Oilers 33/1
Calgary Flames 40/1
San Jose Sharks 40/1
Vancouver Canucks 40/1
Ottawa Senators 50/1
Colorado Avalanche 66/1
Dallas Stars 66/1
New Jersey Devils 66/1
Philadelphia Flyers 66/1
Toronto Maple Leafs 66/1
Florida Panthers 75/1
Buffalo Sabres 100/1
Carolina Hurricanes 100/1
Arizona Coyotes 100/1