A historic NHL regular season has drawn to a close and the league is just about to start the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Colorado Avalanche, preseason favorites to hoist Lord Stanley’s Cup, have fallen to 2nd place following the Boston Bruins’'historic campaign. The Bruins set new NHL records for wins (65) and points (135) while catapulting from a +2000 preseason mark to the favorite to win it all.
Other teams making major jumps include the'Edmonton Oilers and'New Jersey Devils while squads like the Florida Panthers find themselves slipping way down the list on the heels of an 8th-seed finish and the Calgary Flames — a respectable +1500 to win in it all in the preseason — failed to reach the playoffs at all.
Make sure to check back throughout the postseason for SportsbookWire’s expert NHL picks, predictions and bets.
Odds provided by BetMGM Sportsbook. Last updated Monday, April 16, 2023 at 7 p.m. ET. (
First-round opponent: Carolina Hurricanes
2022-23 records:
- Record: 41-31-9
- Puck line (ATS): 42-40
- O/U: 36-41-5
- Odds to win East: +2200 — Implied win %: 4.35
Implied Stanley Cup win %: 1.96
First-round opponent: Colorado Avalanche
2022-23 records:
- Record: 46-28-8
- Puck line (ATS): 48-34
- O/U: 38-39-5
- Odds to win West: +1400 — Implied win %: 6.67
Implied Stanley Cup win %: 2.44
Winnipeg Jets forward Blake Wheeler (Photo credit: Nick Wosika-USA TODAY Sports)
First-round opponent: Vegas Golden Knights
2022-23 records:
- Record: 46-33-3
- Puck line (ATS): 42-40
- O/U: 25-51-6
- Odds to win West: +1100 — Implied win %: 8.33
Implied Stanley Cup win %: 2.78
First-round opponent: Boston Bruins
2022-23 records:
- Record: 42-32-8
- Puck line (ATS): 34-48
- O/U: 44-32-6
- Odds to win East: +1400 — Implied win %: 6.67
Implied Stanley Cup win %: 3.85
First-round opponent: Edmonton Oilers
2022-23 records:
- Record: 47-25-10
- Puck line (ATS): 44-38
- O/U: 41-35-6
- Odds to win West: +900 — Implied win %: 10.00
Implied Stanley Cup win %: 3.85
First-round opponent: Dallas Stars
2022-23 records:
- Record: 46-25-11
- Puck line (ATS): 36-46
- O/U: 33-42-7
- Odds to win West: +850 — Implied win %: 10.53
Implied Stanley Cup win %: 4.35
Several Tampa Bay Lightning celebrate a goal (Photo credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports)
First-round opponent: Toronto Maple Leafs