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NHL: Who Will Win the Stanley Cup in 2024?

darren cooper
By:
Darren Cooper
09/10/2023/
NHL
NHL Sports News

Highlights

  • The Red Wings are trying to get back in the playoffs for the first time since 2016.They last won the Stanley Cup in 2008.
  • Vegas Golden Knights are the defending Stanley Cup champions after beating the Florida Panthers in the finals last year.
  • Favorites to win the Stanley Cup this year include the Edmonton Oilers, New Jersey Devils and Colorado Avalanche.

Who you got in the run for the Stanley Cup?

The NHL has become younger, faster and a lot of people would say better in the last few years. The 2023-24 season starts Tuesday night with a tripleheader on ESPN. The Red Wings and their mishmash of prospects and veterans open up Thursday night against one of the contenders for the Stanley Cup, the New Jersey Devils.

Michigan sportsbooks have full odds on the NHL season, including the big one, who will win the Stanley Cup? Here’s a quick preview of the odds and favorites, and just what do the Red Wings have to do to get back into the mix.

What Do the Oddsmakers Say?

You’ll find plenty of different options out there. Caesars Sportsbook has the Hurricanes (+750), then the Oilers (+800), Maple Leafs (+900), Avalanche (+900) and Devils (+1000) in their top five.

PointsBet Sportsbook likes the Hurricanes in the top spot (+750), followed by the Avalanche (+800), Oilers (+800), defending Cup champions Vegas (+950) and the Devils (+1000).
FanDuel has something different. They have the Avalanche as the favorite (+850), then Hurricanes (+900), Devils (+1000), Maple Leafs (+1100) and the Oilers (+1100).

Detroit is in the second half of the sportsbook futures, listed at +7500 at Caesars to win the Cup. Caesars also has a unique futures bet combining the Red Wings and Pistons (in the NBA) to make the playoffs at +1385.

Sizing Up the Contenders

Let’s start in Carolina. The Hurricanes have been in the conference final two of the last five years and won three straight division titles. They have two young starts in forward Sebastian Aho and pounding defenseman Jordan Staal. Do they boost their offense and sign Patrick Kane?

Edmonton has stars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, each in their prime as offensive weapons reminding fans of the great days of the 80s when Gretzky ruled the ice. But do they have the defense to succeed deep in the playoffs?

New Jersey is also loaded offensively after scoring 112 points last year. Nico Hischier has become one of the best two-way centers in the NHL and rides with Jack Hughes to create a serious one-two offensive punch.

Meanwhile, even casual NHL fans know about the Maple Leafs Stanley Cup drought (55 years and counting) and the Avalanche were Cup champs in 2022 keeping them both in the contender mix.

Where Do The Red Wings Stand?

The Red Wings last made the playoffs in 2016, shocking for a franchise that dominated the NHL for over a decade bridging the 90s and 2000s.

Fans are confident that General Manager Steve Yzerman’s rebuilding plan is finally taking root. The Red Wings made a big move in the off-season to bring in Alex DeBrincat to boost the scoring output. He joins a potential top line that includes star center Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond.

But beyond that the Wings still seem to be a year away….from being a year away. They have spent a lot of time and draft capital on young prospects who are working in the American Hockey League, before getting called up to the NHL.

Detroit went 5-3 in the pre-season, and no matter what anyone says about pre-season records, winning is always better than losing.

The biggest issue the wings have is the Atlantic Division is so brutal with the Boston Bruins, Leafs, Panthers and Ottawa Senators in the way of a playoff spot. It could be a situation where Detroit is much better, but only shows incremental progress in the standings.

darren cooper

Born and raised in Louisiana, Darren Cooper has a fond appreciation for bayous, Mardi Gras beads and the sports betting industry. Darren has worked for multiple print and online publications since 1998, primarily as a sports columnist in the Northeast. He’s covered a Super Bowl (it was a blowout), the World Series (same) and the NBA Draft (man, those guys are tall). For the last few years he’s dug deep into the sports gambling industry as it exploded across America, learning how the legal sausage is made and how while all the sportsbooks look the same, they all have different identities and styles. He’s learned to always bet within his means -- and take the under. When not in front of his computer creating, Darren spends time with his three boys. He runs, reads and is always looking for the next big thing to write about.