It's been nearly 35 years since the Montreal Canadiens hoisted the Stanley Cup, marking the last time a Canadian franchise won the NHL championship.
However, teams north of the border have had opportunities to end the drought, as eight Canadian clubs have reached the Stanley Cup Final since the Patrick Roy-led Canadiens won in 1993.
This year, Montreal, the Edmonton Oilers, and the Ottawa Senators have a chance to bring Lord Stanley's mug back across the 49th parallel.
Edmonton is Canada's brightest hope, with +1400 odds to win it all on theScore Bet. Connor McDavid and Co. finished second in the Pacific Division, setting up a first-round meeting with the Anaheim Ducks. The Oilers are -220 (68.8% implied probability) to win their first series and have garnered 10.3% of all bets and 11.1% of the handle (money wagered) on the Stanley Cup winner market.
If the Oilers get past the Ducks, their path to the finals remains daunting. They'll likely face the Vegas Golden Knights in the second round, followed by a matchup with the Stanley Cup favorite Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference semifinals, a series in which they'll certainly be considered underdogs.
Western Conference odds
| Team | Stanley Cup Odds | WC Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Avalanche | +275 | +150 |
| Stars | +1000 | +500 |
| Oilers | +1200 | +550 |
| Golden Knights | +1200 | +550 |
| Wild | +1600 | +800 |
| Ducks | +4000 | +1800 |
| Mammoth | +5000 | +1500 |
| Kings | +7500 | +2500 |
With the Western Conference looking like it runs through Colorado, the path for an Eastern Conference team to make the finals appears slightly easier. That bodes well for the Canadiens and Senators, provided they can even survive the first round.
The Carolina Hurricanes, a notorious postseason underachiever, hold the 1-seed. Meanwhile, the Buffalo Sabres won the Atlantic Division to claim the 2-seed and are making their first playoff appearance since 2011.
Eastern Conference odds
| Team | Stanley Cup odds | EC odds |
|---|---|---|
| Lightning | +360 | +200 |
| Hurricanes | +500 | +220 |
| Sabres | +1600 | +675 |
| Senators | +1800 | +700 |
| Penguins | +2500 | +1000 |
| Canadiens | +2500 | +1200 |
| Bruins | +5000 | +2000 |
| Flyers | +5000 | +2000 |
The Sens take on the Hurricanes in the first round, while the Canadiens face the Tampa Bay Lightning. Both Canadian teams are underdogs in their series and would need substantial upsets to advance.
Montreal and its roster full of budding stars return to the postseason after being bounced by the Washington Capitals in the first round last year. The Habs are +220 to get past Tampa, though the clubs split their regular-season series and finished tied with 106 points. While the Lightning have the edge in experience, the Canadiens could be the hungrier group.
The Senators lost to the Toronto Maple Leafs in last year's playoffs, ending a postseason drought that dated back to 2017. The Hurricanes have been considered one of the best teams in the East for a while, reaching the Eastern Conference Final three times in the last seven years but winning only one game in those appearances. The Senators could pull off an upset as +155 underdogs.
If you combine the odds of all three Canadian teams, the chances of the country's Stanley Cup drought ending are roughly 12%. While the Oilers, Canadiens, and Senators might not give Canada its best shot in recent years, there should still be some hope that one of them can win it all.
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