Oddsmakers have a new favorite to win the Stanley Cup after trade deadline

When the season kicked off, the majority of oddsmakers believed the Colorado Avalanche could win it all this spring.
Now that the trade deadline is behind us and the focus is all on the stretch to the postseason and the playoffs, Money Puck update the board to the playoff odds, and now the Florida Panthers are leading the pack to win the Stanley Cup in June.
The Panthers added on huge pieces ahead of Monday’s deadline in star forward Claude Giroux and defensemen Ben Chiarot and Robert Hagg.

Florida is therefore the favourite to win the Cup, with the Avalanche in third as the Pittsburgh Penguins inserted themselves in second place.

The Avalanche was believed to be in the mix to acquire Giroux, but the forward preferred the Southern destination. Colorado improved its bottom-six group of forwards with former Canadiens winger Artturi Lehkonen and journeyman Andrew Cogliano, and they’ve bolstered their defense corps with former Ducks D-man Josh Manson. And the Avs were already looking pretty damn good before the moves.

The Panthers might be first but there is no huge margin there. On top of that, they will have to find a way to outlast Atlantic Division rivals in the Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins, all of who made major moves before the deadline.

What’s to be noted also from the Money Puck’s odds are the Vegas Golden Knights’ chances dwelling down the boards with less and less chances to even make the postseason.