Tampa Bay Lightning Favorites to Win 2020 Stanley Cup as NHL Preseason Gets Underway

Preseason play in the National Hockey League started last week, and with that, sportsbooks rolled out their futures odds for the upcoming 2019-20 season. The team the books have tabbed as their favorite to hoist the Stanley Cup next June is also the one with the most to prove.

The Tampa Bay Lightning are the favorites at FanDuel, DraftKings, William Hill, MGM Resorts, and the Westgate SuperBook. They were also the heavy favorites entering last year’s before they were quickly dispatched by the Columbus Blue Jackets in a first-round sweep.

The Lightning finished with 128 regular-season points, 21 more than the second-place team in the Eastern Conference. However, after their quick exit from the playoffs, the Lightning upgraded their roster. That included signing forward Pat Maroon, who helped the St. Louis Blues win the first Stanley Cup in franchise history.

I kind of knew going in what kind of an organization it was and how good that team really was, Maroon told NHL.com. And for me, that s what meant the most. I felt like Tampa and their style of hockey was the best fit and I can kind of bring a different element than they re used to seeing. I felt like I can help out. They didn t really have to sell much.

Another key addition was veteran defenseman and three-time all-star Kevin Shattenkirk.

The Lightning’s Stanley Cup odds are +700 at FanDuel, +750 at William Hill and DraftKings, and +800 at MGM.

The defending champions find themselves down a bit on the NHL odds board. The best value is at DraftKings, which lists them ninth at +1800. The Blues are tied with the Washington Capitals and Nashville Predators as the fifth choice at FanDuel, which offers +1500 odds. William Hill lists the Blues sixth at +1400, and MGM has them sixth on their board at +1500.

The Boston Bruins, who lost to the Blues in June, are +1000 at MGM. FanDuel lists them as the +950 co-second choice, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, while William Hill has them as the fourth choice at +1100. DraftKings offers the Bruins +1300.

The Maple Leafs, who recently re-signed Mitch Marner to ensure the key pieces to their explosive offense will be together for five years, are the +1000 co-second choice at William Hill. FanDuel lists the Leafs at +1400, and MGM offers +1000 odds on them for the Stanley Cup.

The Golden Knights, who are just in their third year of existence in the NHL, also fetch +1000 odds at MGM and William Hill. FanDuel offers them at +1050, while DraftKings lists them at +1100.

Some books are offering futures betting on individual awards, such as the Hart Trophy which goes to the NHL’s most valuable player.

Edmonton’s Conor McDavid, who finished second in the league in points behind Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov, is the +390 favorite to win his second Hart Trophy. Kucherov, last year’s winner, is priced at +600, with Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby at +750.

DraftKings and FanDuel also offer odds on the Calder Trophy, which goes to the NHL’s top rookie. DraftKings lists the top two picks in this year’s draft New Jersey’s Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko of the New York Rangers as co-favorites at +200.

FanFuel lists Kakko as its favorite with +240 odds, but Hughes is right behind at +250.