NHL Futures Betting Preview – Red Wings favored to raise Stanley Cup again
- Experienced Detroit are the class of the league
- Young Penguins trying to keep pace
- Lightning could strike some by surprise
The Detroit Red Wings were the best team in the NHL from start to finish during the 2007-08 season, and they wrapped up their brilliant campaign with a six-game win over the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Stanley Cup finals, claiming a second straight Cup for the Western Conference. Online sportsbook odds say the Red Wings are a good bet to lift Lord Stanley's Cup once again in 2007-08.
Detroit are +300 favorites to win their fifth Stanley Cup in 12 seasons, and the NHL's best got even stronger with the acquisition of Marian Hossa, ironically from Pittsburgh. Hossa adds a legitimate 40-goal scorer to a squad that gets by on a team game, while Niklas Kronwall should continue on his quest to be the next Niklas Lidstrom, who does not look like a 38-year-old defenseman. It is difficult to find a weakness in this club, and it seems as though only injury can slow them down.
Pittsburgh are next at +700 NHL odds, and the Penguins will have many more chances to lift the Cup as long as they can keep the likes of young stars Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Marc-Andre Fleury around. However, the one place that Pittsburgh has a weakness in is defense, and Ryan Whitney is out for 3-5 months with a foot problem. Losing Ryan Malone and veteran Gary Roberts to Tampa Bay also hurt.
Anaheim and San Jose were both beaten by Dallas in the Western Conference playoffs, and the Sharks have to start over with a new coach as Ron Wilson left for Toronto. The chronically-overachieving Sharks still have a lot of talent, led by Joe Thornton and Evgeni Nabokov, but they cannot seem to find that extra gear in the second season. Meanwhile, the Ducks were inconsistent all season and were finally exposed in the playoffs. However, Anaheim has two of the best young forwards in the NHL in Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry, and they picked up gritty Brendan Morrison from Vancouver. Both teams have 2009 Stanley Cup odds of +1000.
A darkhorse pick? Tampa Bay. The Lightning won the Cup in 2003-04 and then fell off the map, but they still have a slew of talented forwards in Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis and No.1 overall pick Steven Stamkos, but it will be interesting to see how the combination of Olaf Kolzig and Mike Smith, both offseason pick-ups, will work together in goal. The Lightning come in with 2009 Stanley Cup odds of +2000.
Don's Analysis: It is difficult to see past the Red Wings, who have averaged just over 110 points a season over their last ten campaigns, and having Hossa on board makes them even better, not to mention, the ever-improving Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datysuk. The Penguins are still too young and fragile on defense, the Sharks just do not seem to have a mental edge and with a new coach, they probably will not this year. Anaheim will be better, and Montreal and Ottawa will also be improved, but the Red Wings are the class of the league. Pick the Red Wings to cement their legacy with another big Cup win.
Full list of 2009 Stanley Cup odds
Who better to offer great sports betting and hockey tips than a native Canadian? Like any good Canuck, Don Melrose eats, sleeps, breathes and bets hockey, making him the perfect NHL handicapper. Thoughts or questions? Email Comments@BetOnline.com.
