Mark Lammey
Show Bio
The NHL All-Star Weekend has come and gone, and as exciting as the new format was, it’s time to look ahead to the 2nd half of the 2023-24 NHL season. We’re here to help with that by providing our best NHL futures picks. We’re going to start with a division winner and work our way up to who is going to hoist the Stanley Cup with our 3 best bets below. Along with our best NHL futures picks, be sure to check out all of our NHL picks for today’s action.
NHL Atlantic Division winner best bet: Florida Panthers (+220)
Odds available at DraftKings Sportsbook at time of publishing.
Let’s start slow. Well, it’s not that slow, as we’re targeting a team to upset the juggernaut that is the Boston Bruins. Many thought that the Bru-crew could only decline after a record-setting season and the retirement of former captain Patrice Bergeron. However, they still look strong atop the Atlantic, but the Florida Panthers are ready to pounce. They’re just 5 points back at this point, and let’s not forget how great they’ve been the past few seasons themselves. It was the Panthers who won the Presidents’ Trophy two seasons ago, upset the Bruins in the playoffs last year and ultimately represented the Eastern Conference in the Stanley Cup Final.
Although they fell in that ultimate series, Matthew Tkachuk proved to be their missing piece, and they look destined for another magical run in the 2nd half of this season. They open things up with 3 straight home games, beginning with a depleted Philadelphia Flyers team and a Washington Capitals team that can’t seem to find the back of the net. Wins here should allow them to grab early confidence and roll that over into the next few months. So, the Panthers taking the Atlantic at +220 odds is the first of our 3 NHL futures picks.
NHL Eastern Conference winner best bet: Carolina Hurricanes (+500)
Odds available at DraftKings Sportsbook at time of publishing.
We mentioned that it was the Panthers that represented the Eastern Conference in last year’s Stanley Cup Final, and that was thanks to their upset over the Carolina Hurricanes in the series prior. However, that was a ‘Canes squad that was without their 2 best skaters — Andrei Svechnikov and Sebastian Aho. Svechnikov continues to get healthier, while Aho was just in the All-Star Game thanks to 54 points through 45 games and his uncanny ability to block shots.
That’s helped Carolina continue to be a top defensive team allowing the fewest shots per game. They’re behind only the Rangers in the Metro Division, but New York has been declining since their incredible start to the season. The Rangers are just 4-5-1 in their past 10 games, and what was once a significant lead is now just a 2-point advantage over the Hurricanes in the division. Carolina came within a series of the 2023 Stanley Cup Final, and they can get there with a healthy squad this season, making them the focus of one of our NHL futures picks.
NHL Stanley Cup winner best bet: Vancouver Canucks (+1400)
Odds available at FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing.
Last but certainly not least is the most important of them all — hoisting Lord Stanley come season’s end. Two seasons ago, the Canucks were on the come-up, but last season, things went awry. Despite that, they’ve rebounded as strong as ever, leading the entire Western Conference heading into the second half of the season. Therefore, it’s quite surprising to see them behind 7 other teams to win the 2024 Stanley Cup! Admittedly, our preseason pick of the Edmonton Oilers is looking strong (the favorites at +700), but there is absolutely value to be had in Vancouver.
They may not have the star power of Connor McDavid, but they did just have the most all-star selections with 5 skaters and goaltender Thatcher Demko. The Canucks have also been the highest-scoring team throughout the season until just recently getting knocked down to 2nd, but they also allow the 2nd-fewest goals per game. That type of balance is what can allow them to continue excelling for the remainder of the season. It’s still a long road ahead, but the final play from our NHL futures picks is for the Vancouver Canucks to win the 2024 Stanley Cup.
