Oddsmakers argue over new favourite to win the Stanley Cup after first-round upset!

The Colorado Avalanche began the season as the clear-cut favorite to successfully defend their 2021-22 Stanley Cup title. Early in January, most oddsmakers like Draft Kings Sportsbook and Moneypuck then pointed to the Boston Bruins as being favourites to win the Stanley Cup this summer.

The prediction made sense all the way through this past Sunday, after the record-setting, Presidents’ Trophy-winning Bruins were eliminated in the first round of the postseason by the Florida Panthers, who trailed Boston by 43 points in the regular season.

On Tuesday ahead of the start of the second round, oddsmakers choose a new favourite to win the Stanley Cup and the prediction from Moneypuck probably won’t please commissioner Gary Bettman.

Moneypuck calls the Edmonton Oilers the next Stanley Cup champions in a final against the Toronto Maple Leafs. However, other oddsmakers like BetMGM and Sports Interaction believe the Maple Leafs will come out on top during the finals against the Oilers.

While the oddsmakers can’t seem to agree on one clear favourite, it would be amazing to see a Canadian team be crown champion in 2023. A Canadian franchise hasn’t won the Cup since the Montreal Canadiens in 93. Since then, only one team from Canada has advanced to the final round: Montreal, which lost to Tampa Bay during the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season.

The Oilers found themselves in the Stanley Cup final for the last time in the 2005-06 campaign but haven’t hosted the prestigious trophy since capturing their fifth title in seven seasons back in 1989-90.

As for the Maple Leafs, they haven’t reached the Stanley Cup Final since winning it in the 1966-67 season.

But at least this time, Toronto made it past the first round.

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