Without wasting a second, betting sites have already released the betting odds for the 2024 Stanley Cup Championship. The usual names are at the top of the list. But unlike the beginning of 2022-23, when the Edmonton Oilers ranked behind a few teams, they lead the charge alongside the Boston Bruins and Colorado Avalanche with +800, per theScore Bet.
While different sites release different odds, and some have the Oilers behind a team or two, theScore Bet is one of the most reliable sites, giving the team the recognition they deserve (from “2024 Stanley Cup odds: Avalanche open as title favorites; Oilers, Bruins, Maple Leafs next”, The Athletic, June 13, 2023). In each of the past two seasons, the Oilers have been eliminated by the eventual Stanley Cup Champions, proving that they are just a few goals or bounces away from winning. Canada is close to having the Stanley Cup return to the North, and the Oilers should be the ones to do it, maybe even next season.
Comparing the Oilers to the Top Competition
While Edmonton is tied for the best odds, the Toronto Maple Leafs, Carolina Hurricanes, New Jersey Devils, and Vegas Golden Knights are all close behind. But before they worry about teams in the East, they have to look at the two teams that eliminated them in 2022 and 2023 and went on to win the Cup, the Avalanche and Golden Knights. The core of their teams won’t change very much, so there’s no reason to believe they can’t do it again or make their way back to the final four.
The West continues to be overlooked, especially in 2022-23, when the East had many dominant teams that loaded up at the trade deadline. The West was wide open, but for the second season in a row, the team that led the conference at the end of the regular season went all the way. Although the Oilers have simply focused on making the playoffs, home-ice advantage would be beneficial throughout.
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The Oilers might only be able to make a few changes this offseason, given their limited cap space, but the Avalanche could be in bigger trouble. Like the Golden Knights, injuries plague them more often than not; Gabriel Landeskog is expected to miss the entire 2023-24 season, and though placing him on the long-term injured reserve list will free up cap space, they still must find someone who can pick up the slack. That won’t be easy for them, and on top of that, they will have to also shop for a second-line centre, with J.T. Compher likely making his way to free agency.
We all know how hard it is to win the Stanley Cup, but hoisting it twice in a row is much harder. Only three teams in the past 30 years have done it, the Detroit Red Wings in 1997 and 1998, the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016 and 2017, and the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020 and 2021, and Vegas will likely have a tough time getting past similar teams in the West in 2023-24.
Then there is the Canadian Cup drought. Even though most championship teams are filled with Canadians, a Canadian team has not won since the 1993 Montreal Canadiens, and only six teams have made the Final since then – Edmonton being one of them in 2006.
Oilers Have the Team to Win
The Oilers have arguably the top two playoff performers on their roster. After being eliminated in Round 2 after 12 playoff games, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are still among the leaders in goals and points. McDavid finished ninth, with eight goals and was tied for sixth in points with 20, while Draisaitl tied for the playoff lead in goals (13, *playing 10 fewer games*) and eighth in points (18). No player other than Evan Bouchard finished in the top-15 in points and was eliminated before the third round.
The Oilers should get better results from their goalie tandem next season, even without changes, as Jack Campbell should rise to his career average, or close to it, while Stuart Skinner has now gained valuable experience and won’t be overworked. Many of the Oilers’ core players have now experienced a few playoffs with some success. They know what winning key games feels like, but they’ve also tasted enough defeat to motivate them over the hump. The Oilers are so close, and next year might be their year.
