Three Early Value Bets to Win the Stanley Cup

It’s early in the NHL season and some teams have been surprises. The Buffalo Sabres (5-1-1) have been surprisingly good, while the Chicago Blackhawks (0-5-2) have been surprisingly bad on the ice and off.

You can guarantee that some teams won't win the Stanley Cup, sorry Arizona Coyotes. But you can’t guarantee any winners. Which makes picking early values that much more intriguing.

We’ve got a lot more to see, but who looks like a contender so far?

Here are three value bets to win the Stanley Cup, with odds courtesy of WynnBET Sportsbook. 

Pittsburgh Penguins (+2000 to Win the Stanley Cup)

The Penguins are currently 3-2-2 on the young season, and that doesn’t sound that amazing, but when you consider that they haven’t seen Sidney Crosby or Evgeni Malkin on the ice this season, it is kind of amazing. 

Not to mention that star defenseman Kris Letang and newly-appointed top-line center Jeff Carter have been out with Covid-19 issues over the last week. Now it's even more amazing.

With all of the injuries, Pittsburgh head coach Mike Sullivan has shifted the focus from offense-first to defense-first. It’s been working, especially on special teams, as the Penguins currently lead the NHL in Penalty Kill percentage, with 94.1 percent. Also, goalie Tristan Jarry has finally been playing well in the net after his terrible postseason performance.

Pittsburgh has still taken plenty of shots, averaging 34.7 per game, but the offense will be flatter until Crosby returns soon to beef it up.

Crosby should be back shortly, and if the Penguins go on a run after his return, Pittsburgh’s odds will quickly get a lot shorter. 

Winnipeg Jets (+5000 to Win the Stanley Cup)

Much like Pittsburgh, Winnipeg have been playing with a few pieces missing, and have pulled off a 4-2-1 start. 

Center Mark Scheifele and right wing Blake Wheeler have only appeared in two games. Both players are now close to a return, and the already solid Jets offense is about to become even more powerful. 

Left wing Kyle Connor has carried Winnipeg in Scheifele and Wheeler’s absence, picking up six goals, seven assists and 13 points in seven games. 

Despite missing two important offensive pieces, the Jets are still averaging 3.9 goals per game and have a power play success rate of 25 percent. 

Winnipeg’s main point of concern is in the net. Goalie Connor Hellebuyck has failed to get the job done time and time again, and with Eric Comrie showing a solid performance against the Los Angeles Kings, there could soon be a timeshare between the pipes. 

The Jets have a good offense that will soon get even better.

Vancouver Canucks (+7500 to Win the Stanley Cup)

The Vancouver Canucks have had a shaky start to the season, going 3-4-1 in the first eight games. They would have a much better looking record if they could have flipped a few one goal losses, but here we are.

A lot of the Canucks depth has been on the shelf with injury, including centers Brandon Sutter and Tyler Motte. 

Vancouver’s power play unit of Alex Chiasson, Bo Horvat, Elias Pettersson, J.T. Miller and Quinn Hughes have been solid, and their secondary power play unit of Tanner Pearson, Nils Hoglander, Conor Garland, Brock Boeser and Oliver Ekman-Larsson may be the best in the NHL. 

Hughes has the chance to win the Norris Trophy for best defenseman in the NHL and the goalie tandem of Thatcher Demko and Jaroslav Halak may be the best tandem in the Western Conference. 

They may not get a lot of publicity, being all the way out in British Columbia, but I’ve got my eye on those Canucks.