Lightning favored to win Eastern Conference, but Leafs are close
September 26th, 2019
The NHL Eastern Conference is chock-full of talented teams that have a chance to make some noise and contend for the Stanley Cup. Join us as we examine the latest NHL odds and predict who will be holding the Prince of Wales Trophy at the end of the 2019-2020 season.
2019-2020 NHL Eastern Conference odds
| Team | NHL Eastern Conference Odds |
|---|
Tampa Bay Lightning | +320 |
Toronto Maple Leafs | +450 |
Boston Bruins | +575 |
Washington Capitals | +950 |
Florida Panthers | +1100 |
Pittsburgh Penguins | +1300 |
Carolina Hurricanes | +1300 |
New Jersey Devils | +1400 |
New York Islanders | +1700 |
Montreal Canadiens | +1900 |
Showing 1 to 10 of 16 entries
Tampa Bay Lightning (+320)
Tampa Bay won the Presidents’ Trophy last season, but flamed out in the first round of the playoffs. Back with essentially the same roster of players, Tampa is looking to turn bitter into sweet this year. Nikita Kucherov, Steven Stamkos and Braydon Point combined for an incredible 127 goals and 318 points last year, and they’ll be counted on to provide similar bushels of goals in 2019-2020.Nikita Kucherov wins the Hart Memorial Trophy 👏
— ESPN (@espn) June 20, 2019
• First player since Jagr ('98-99) with 40 goals & 80 assists in a season
• Most points in a season (128) since 1995-96 pic.twitter.com/V10mtyOJZP
The continuity with the roster should mean that everyone will be on the same page when they take the ice. Andrei Vasilevskiy will want to play better than he did in the playoffs last season, and that will start with another excellent regular season in net. If Tampa Bay can remain healthy, its roster has the juice to win it all.
John Tavares and Mitch Marner should remain solid, but the question on offense will be who else can step up and provide scoring for the Leafs. On defense Frederick Andersen will be counted on to improve his goals-against average, which could make Scotiabank Arena the home of two champions.
Toronto Maple Leafs (+450)
The Maple Leafs have been slowly building a contender, and many feel this year they actually have one. Their heartbeat is Auston Matthews, one of the league’s young stars. They’re hoping he makes the leap from a 70-point season to a 100-point season this year.John Tavares and Mitch Marner should remain solid, but the question on offense will be who else can step up and provide scoring for the Leafs. On defense Frederick Andersen will be counted on to improve his goals-against average, which could make Scotiabank Arena the home of two champions.
Washington Capitals (+950)
The Capitals have been perennial contenders for the better part of a decade, but they finally put it all together in 2018 to win the Stanley Cup. They will once again be led by Alexander Ovechkin, while Nicklas Backstrom, Evgeny Kuznetsov and John Carlson will also be counted on to provide scoring. Their questions marks always surround defense, and Braden Holtby will need to continue his solid play in net.Braden Holtby pulls off the unprecedented triple diving poke near his own blue line. This is the perfect outcome, and the greatest thing a goaltender can aspire to do. pic.twitter.com/gSEfdRsP2I
— InGoal Magazine (@InGoalMedia) December 22, 2018
Carolina Hurricanes (+1300)
The “Bunch of Jerks” are back, and they still have a team that can make noise in the Eastern Conference. Sebastian Aho, Teuvo Teravainen and Justin Williams will be the key players on offense, while Petr Mrazek will be the man between the posts to keep the Canes in it. Mrazek has the ability to get super hot, and a hot goaltender in the playoffs makes for a dangerous team.The NHL season is right around the corner, but you can get a head start with future wagers at BetAmerica!
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