Mark Lammey
Show Bio
It’s finally set. The 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs are ready to begin on Monday, April 17. It took until the third-to-last day to determine all 16 teams and until the very last night for all the seeds to be decided. We saw the Pittsburgh Penguins excluded from the postseason for the first time in 17 years, and the Nashville Predators and Washington Capitals doing the same after 8 straight years in the mix. New blood like the Seattle Kraken and the surprising New Jersey Devils makes this year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs unique and all the more exciting. With that in mind, we have a preview for the action to come and a best bet for which team will ultimately hoist the Cup.
Along with our Stanley Cup Playoffs predictions, be sure to check out all of our NHL picks for the upcoming postseason action.
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2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs Preview
Unsurprisingly, the Boston Bruins are the clear favorites to hoist Lord Stanley in 2023. They’re coming into their postseason matchup against last year’s Presidents’ Trophy winners – the Florida Panthers – after winning it themselves by setting the NHL records for wins (65) and points (135) in a season.
Despite them needing until the final game of the regular season, the defending-champion Colorado Avalanche are the favorites out of the Western Conference. Following the Avs comes two Canadian teams in the Edmonton Oilers and Toronto Maple Leafs. Despite being a hockey powerhouse, a Canadian team hasn’t hosted the Cup since 1993 when the Montreal Canadiens won it. We’ll get to see the Leafs in a rematch from last year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Tampa Bay Lightning, who are looking to make their 4th straight appearance in the Final.
Most would agree it’s between that series and the New York Rangers vs New Jersey Devils series that should be the closest battles in the first round. The latter will likely be a defensive showdown. The Rangers were within 2 games of a Stanley Cup Final appearance last year, while the Devils are looking to make one of the best year-to-year turnarounds in NHL history. Along with Wild vs Stars, Hurricanes vs Islanders, and Jets vs Golden Knights, we should be in for yet another incredible Stanley Cup Playoffs. So, the question then remains, who will ultimately hoist the Cup?
Check out our NHL Playoffs First Round preview and best bets
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2023 Stanley Cup Winner Best Bet: Edmonton Oilers (+900)
There’s no denying that the Bruins deserve to be the betting favorites. However, at around +330 odds on most sportsbooks and the next closest team +650 or greater, there’s very little value at this point. The other division winner in the Eastern Conference – the Carolina Hurricanes – are dealing with injuries hindering their offense, which was a large part in them going just 5-5-0 down the stretch. Similarly, the Avs have already announced that Gabriel Landeskog will not make his return this postseason, and Cale Makar is still not 100% healthy.
That leaves the Pacific Division, and we’re not even focused on the winner. Instead, we’re backing Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers to bring the Stanley Cup back to Canada. It’s been a long time coming, as it’s been expected from the superstar since he broke into the league. Alongside Leon Draisaitl, they’ve been the most offensively dynamic duo in the league. Just like last season, they ended the year as the top 2 point-scorers. McDavid recorded the first 150-point season since Mario Lemieux in 1995-96. That historical season has helped the Oilers as a whole enter the Stanley Cup Playoffs as the hottest team in the NHL.
They always say building momentum into the postseason is key, and that would be an understatement for Edmonton. The Oilers finished the regular season with 9 straight wins and won 17 of their last 20 games. That included victories over the Bruins and Avs. Edmonton is as low as +650 at some sportsbooks, but you can get them with a +900 price at FanDuel Sportsbook.
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