Blackhawks vs. Lightning: Early Odds for 2016 Stanley Cup Final Rematch

Unsurprisingly, the Chicago Blackhawks have opened as favorites to win the 2016 Stanley Cup one day after capturing their third title in six years. The runner-up Tampa Bay Lightning are tied for fourth overall and second in the Eastern Conference in the early odds for next season.

The Los Angeles Kings, who have alternated championships with the Blackhawks for the past four years, sit in a tie for sixth. On the opposite end, three teams (the Arizona Coyotes, the Buffalo Sabres and the Carolina Hurricanes) are the longest shots on the board.

Let's check out a complete list of early odds for next year's Stanley Cup. It's followed by an examination of both teams that competed for this year's title and whether a rematch could be in the cards.

2016 Stanley Cup Odds

Rank	Team	Odds
1	Chicago Blackhawks	7-1
2	New York Rangers	8-1
3	Anaheim Ducks	10-1
T-4	St. Louis Blues	12-1
T-4	Tampa Bay Lightning	12-1
T-6	Los Angeles Kings	14-1
T-6	Minnesota Wild	14-1
T-6	Montreal Canadiens	14-1
T-6	Pittsburgh Penguins	14-1
T-10	Boston Bruins	16-1
T-10	Nashville Predators	16-1
12	Washington Capitals	18-1
13	New York Islanders	22-1
14	Winnipeg Jets	25-1
T-15	Columbus Blue Jackets	33-1
T-15	Detroit Red Wings	33-1
T-15	Edmonton Oilers	33-1
T-18	Calgary Flames	40-1
T-18	San Jose Sharks	40-1
T-18	Vancouver Canucks	40-1
21	Ottawa Senators	50-1
T-22	Colorado Avalanche	66-1
T-22	Dallas Stars	66-1
T-22	New Jersey Devils	66-1
T-22	Philadelphia Flyers	66-1
T-22	Toronto Maple Leafs	66-1
27	Florida Panthers	75-1
T-28	Arizona Coyotes	100-1
T-28	Buffalo Sabres	100-1
T-28	Carolina Hurricanes	100-1

Outlook for 2015 Finalists

Chicago Blackhawks

Pretty much the only thing the Blackhawks haven't done during their remarkable run of success is repeat as champions. That has nothing to do with talent but rather the difficulty of surviving one Cup run and then having enough left in the tank to do it all over again.

If Chicago does repeat, it will be because general manager Stan Bowman was able to work some magic during the offseason. The organization will need to make tough calls in order to iron out its salary-cap situation over the next few months.

NHL Numbers projects the Hawks to have around $7.5 million in cap space. While that doesn't sound pressing on the surface, the problem is they have 10 potential free agents (six unrestricted and four restricted). And they are losing Kimmo Timonen to retirement.

The team's notable free agents include Johnny Oduya and Brad Richards on the unrestricted side as well as Brandon Saad and Marcus Kruger on the restricted side.

Making sure the Hawks are able to retain Saad, an emerging talent who netted eight goals in the playoffs, is the most important factor. But they are losing a lot of depth, so they will need some free space to fill those secondary roles too.

That could lead to Patrick Sharp, who owns a $5.9 million cap hit, ending up on the trade block. Though that wouldn't be ideal, it could open up a lot of room to fill the other holes while allowing a player such as Teuvo Teravainen to step into a bigger role.

On the bright side, ESPN Stats & Information noted most of the main group is set to remain intact deep into the future:

"

The Blackhawks have a core of seven players who have won three Stanley Cups—Brent Seabrook, Patrick Sharp, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Marian Hossa, [Patrick] Kane, [Duncan] Keith and Jonathan Toews.

All seven are signed for next season. Hossa, Kane, Keith and Toews are all signed into the next decade.

"

One other major piece expected back is head coach Joel Quenneville. He's a steady influence behind the bench who has been able to create a terrific bond with the team's outstanding core, something that isn't always easy to maintain over an extended period.

Mark Lazerus of the Chicago Sun-Times passed along comments from the coach about the philosophy that's made the Hawks a consistent success.

"The important thing is it's about the team, accountability," Quenneville said. "A lot of things go into it. To me it's never about me, it's about the group around us, [trying] to maximize everybody's effectiveness. Team comes first, go from there."

It's an approach that allows a player such as Richards, a longtime top-six player, to step seamlessly into a different role in Chicago while chasing a Cup.

The idea is similar to veteran free agents latching on to LeBron James' teams in the NBA. Former stars understand their impact may not be as large, but if they buy into the team concept, there's a strong chance the squad will be in the championship mix.

Chicago's roster will likely look noticeably different when the puck drops next season. But a majority of the main group should return, and a few value signings should keep them firmly in the title conversation.

Tampa Bay Lightning

The Lightning face fewer question marks heading into the offseason. They arrived to the Stanley Cup stage sooner than expected. There was no doubt they featured a talented group of young players, but the fact that they came within two wins of the Cup this season was a surprise to most outsiders.

NHL Numbers projects they will have around $6.8 million in cap space with just four free agents, three of whom are restricted. The only unrestricted player is Brenden Morrow, who had no points and averaged less than nine minutes per game in 24 playoff contests.

In other words, Tampa Bay should look quite similar heading into next season. It may even be able to add one more key player through either free agency or a trade with the remaining cap space.

That's a scary thought for other teams when you consider the roster already features Steven Stamkos, Victor Hedman, Tyler Johnson, Nikita Kucherov, Ondrej Palat and Alex Killorn. Everyone in that group is 25 years old or younger.

It's easy to see why Adam Proteau of the Hockey News is bullish on the team's future:

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But the mourning period for this edition of the team ought to be short, because the Lightning are anything but one-year wonders. The group GM Steve Yzerman has in place will have just as good a chance of returning to next year's Cup final and at least a couple more after that. The Bolts are young, their salary cap situation is tenable—and if you look closely enough at this year's squad, you'll see they should be a little more lucky when next they’re playing for the best trophy in all of sport. And they will be back, and at least as dangerous next time around.

"

Andrew Gross of the Record provided comments from head coach Jon Cooper about the experience of reaching the Final.

"You take the driver's exam and get an A-plus on it. Doesn't make you a good driver," Cooper said. "You still have to get behind the wheel. I think we've gotten behind the wheel in the playoffs. Is this going to guarantee future success? You can't sit here and say it will, but being there definitely helps."

The East does have several other dangerous teams, most notably the New York Rangers. Making a similar run next season may prove tricky for the young Lightning, but they exceeded expectations this year, so the sky remains the limit given all of their young stars.

Rematch?

The last time there was a Stanley Cup rematch was in 2008 and 2009. The Detroit Red Wings and the Pittsburgh Penguins battled in back-to-back years and each won a Cup. Neither side has returned to the Final since then.

Both the Blackhawks, assuming they are able to navigate a tricky offseason without a major drop-off in their depth talent, and the Lightning should be able to contend next season. The odds are in line with that thinking.

That said, the task is more difficult in reality than on paper. There are 12 teams with odds of 20-1 or better to win the Cup next season, so while a rematch wouldn't shock anybody, the odds suggest a different matchup is more likely.