While it seems like the 2023 Stanley Cup just ended, many fans and bettors are already looking ahead to the upcoming NHL season and the thrilling Cup chase that will transpire. On just about all the legal sportsbooks in Ontario, the odds have opened on which team will win next season’s Stanley Cup. 

While much can change between now and when the season begins, including trades and injuries, it seems oddsmakers have a good sense of the teams they believe will compete at a high-level next year. Let’s look at these top teams projected with the highest odds of winning next year’s Cup.

Colorado Avalanche (+900)

The Colorado Avalanche had a disappointing first-round exit in 2023, but the year before, they won the Stanley Cup. Much of the top talent of that team is still around, including Nathan Mackinnon, Cale Makar, and Mikko Rantanen. There will be some questions, particularly around depth and goaltending, but they have the best top-end talent of any team in the league. They also have young players like Bowen Byram, who has room to grow. While no team is a safe bet this early on, the Avalanche are uniquely talented.

Carolina Hurricanes (+900)

It seems like the Carolina Hurricanes have been competing at a high level for a while now, and that’s because they have. This talented team has been a consistent playoff presence, but they have yet to put together a run that leads them to the Stanley Cup with this current core. But next year could genuinely be the year. They have elite players like Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov, and Jaccob Slavin. Carolina Hurricans have solid depth and a goaltender in Frederick Anderson who can get the job done. They added Michael Bunting and Tony DeAngelo this offseason and could end up winning it all.

New Jersey Devils (+1100)

The Devils were one of the shock teams of last season. They broke through in a major way behind a skilled offensive group. Jack Hughes showed he is one of the futures of the league, Nico Hischier had his best year, and Jesper Bratt showed star potential. They also had some excellent play from Dougie Hamilton. They were a young team that showed they were now a force to be reckoned with. If they can get elite goaltending from Akira Schmid, who showed huge upside in the playoffs, there may not be a better team. This year could be the start of something big. 

Toronto Maple Leafs (+1100)

The Maple Leafs have not played in a Stanley Cup since 1967, but they have the talent to change that this season. The Leafs bring back the same core from the last few years, with Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares, William Nylander, and Morgan Reilly. This team helped the Leafs get over their first-round drought last year and could potentially break another drought this season. They added Tyler Bertuzzi and Max Domi to give the offence a little more edge and depth. Will it be enough? The Leafs are as consistently disappointing of a franchise as there is in sports, so we shall see.

Edmonton Oilers (+1100)

The Oilers have what could be the two best players in hockey with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl but have yet to reach a Cup with these historic talents. Could next year be the year? The Oilers will surely once again have one of the top offences in the league, as they have three 100-point scorers, with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins crossing that threshold last season. Now, they’ll need their defence and goaltending to step up, which are the same issues that have plagued this franchise since McDavid entered the league.

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