2017 Stanley Cup Odds: Penguins Leading Way over Blackhawks, Capitals on Futures

No team has repeated as Stanley Cup champion in nearly two decades, but that has not stopped sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark from making the Pittsburgh Penguins the +800 favorites (bet $100 to win $800) to win it again in 2017.

The Penguins knocked out the San Jose Sharks (+1400) in six games en route to earning their fourth Stanley Cup earlier this month.

Led by Conn Smythe Trophy winner Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh thrived under head coach Mike Sullivan, who replaced Mike Johnston midseason. Sullivan harnessed the talent of Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and new addition Phil Kessel while riding rookie Matt Murray over former No. 1 overall pick Marc-Andre Fleury in net.

Kessel experienced a disappointing regular season for the Pens before turning it on in the playoffs and could have won the Conn Smythe over Crosby as their leading scorer.

Pittsburgh’s victory ended a four-year title run for the Western Conference’s Chicago Blackhawks and Los Angeles Kings, who are also among the favorites on the 2017 Stanley Cup odds.

The Blackhawks and Washington Capitals are tied as the +1000 second choice behind the Pens, followed by the St. Louis Blues (+1200), Kings (+1400), Sharks and Tampa Bay Lightning (+1400). St. Louis and Tampa Bay both lost in the conference finals, while Chicago and Los Angeles both suffered first-round playoff defeats.

Washington won the Presidents’ Trophy by totaling the most points during the regular season but was ultimately ousted by Pittsburgh in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The Caps were the overwhelming favorites to win the Cup throughout the season and finished first in the Metropolitan Division ahead of the Pens, who then knocked them out of the postseason in six games.

Regardless, Washington should again be a top contender with perennial goal scorer Alex Ovechkin and Vezina Trophy winner Braden Holtby.

Other teams to watch include the Anaheim Ducks (+1600), Dallas Stars (+1600), Detroit Red Wings (+1800), Minnesota Wild (+1800), Nashville Predators (+1800) and New York Rangers (+1800).

All of those teams made the playoffs last year, with four of them (Anaheim, Detroit, Minnesota and New York) failing to make it past the first round. Dallas and Nashville lost in Western Conference Semifinal series that went the distance.