As more NHL season previews come out you’ll read about how the last Canadian team to win the Stanley Cup was the Montreal Canadiens in 1993. Questions will be asked about whether the best teams in Canada are good enough to dethrone the Chicago Blackhawks and bring the Stanley Cup back to the birthplace of hockey.
I want to take a different look at it. I’m not going to compare Stanley Cup odds of American and Canadiens teams. Instead I’ll weigh the Canadian teams against each other. Of the seven franchises in Canada, which team has the best chance of winning the Stanley Cup?
Cardiac Cane
According to vegasinsider.com the Montreal Canadiens have the best odds of Canadian to win the Stanley Cup at 18/1. That’s good for fourth in the Eastern Conference behind the Tampa Bay Lightning, New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins (WHAT?!) with Montreal at 6/1.
Going through this process there is much to consider. What’s the direction of each team? Do I think a team will buy or sell at the trade deadline? What conference the team plays in will have a major part in this. I will also give you one position of need for each team I believe needs addressed to improve the chances of being the next Stanley Cup Champion from Canada.
I can tell you this before you read further that I don’t agree with the Vegas odds. This will not be a simple retyping of teams in their current odds order. Yeah, Vegas is probably smarter than I am as most will tell me in the comments section. But I watched more than enough of both conferences last season to make an educated rebuttal.
So let’s get started!
Next: Number Seven: Reconstruction Of Proud Franchise Begins