NHL Presidents’ Trophy Preview
Avalanche, Lightning Favorites to Finish with Best Regular-Season Records
Not too long ago, we dropped our NHL All-Out Odds Preview and sized up all the teams based on their Stanley Cup, conference, and division odds. That’s just one-half of the picture as we uncover their Presidents’ Trophy odds to gauge which team finishes with the best regular-season record.
Be it that regular season winners rarely amount to anything, it’s worth some bragging rights for as long as the winner can stay in the playoffs. So without yammering on too much, here are the NHL betting lines.
| Team | Odds To Win |
| Colorado Avalanche | +225 |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | +375 |
| Vegas Golden Knights | +450 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | +800 |
| Boston Bruins | +1400 |
| Florida Panthers | +1800 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | +2000 |
| New York Islanders | +2000 |
| Minnesota Wild | +3000 |
| Washington Capitals | +3300 |
| Carolina Hurricanes | +3300 |
| Edmonton Oilers | +4000 |
| New York Rangers | +4000 |
| Dallas Stars | +4000 |
| St. Louis Blues | +5000 |
| Winnipeg Jets | +5000 |
| Philadelphia Flyers | +5000 |
| Seattle Kraken | +6600 |
| Calgary Flames | +8000 |
| Chicago Blackhawks | +12500 |
| New Jersey Devils | +12500 |
| Vancouver Canucks | +12500 |
| Los Angeles Kings | +15000 |
| Montreal Canadiens | +15000 |
| San Jose Sharks | +17500 |
| Nashville Predators | +20000 |
| Ottawa Senators | +20000 |
| Detroit Red Wings | +20000 |
| Anaheim Ducks | +22500 |
| Columbus Blue Jackets | +22500 |
| Arizona Coyotes | +22500 |
| Buffalo Sabres | +25000 |
Tier-ish Preview of Presidents’ Trophy Odds
We can approach this and break into as many as 18 tiers if we grouped the teams according to their exact sportsbook odds. But ain’t nobody got time for that. Instead, let’s just keep things short and simple with a not-so-apologetic tier-ish system.
Tier A: They’ve Really Got a Shot
These are your Colorados, Tampa Bays, Vegas, and Torontos. These are the “Fab Four” or whatever you want to call them. These teams have an implied probability greater than 10 percent so if we ran a simulation 100 times, expect one of these four teams to pop up for the majority.
Of these teams, only Colorado and Tampa Bay have won the Presidents’ Trophy since it was first awarded in the 1985-86 season. Vegas came oh-so very close last season when it tied with Colorado points-wise (Colorado won the tiebreaker based on regulation wins). And Toronto tends to be great in the regular season.
Tier B: They May Have a Shot
Consider Boston, Florida, Pittsburgh, the New York Islanders, Minnesota, Washington, and Carolina as all part of this tier. These teams have around a 2.9 to 6.7 percent chance to finish with the best regular-season record.
If you’re looking for that tidbit when betting online, Boston and Washington have combined to win this trophy in four of the last eight seasons. No one else on this tier, except for Pittsburgh (way back in 1992-93), has won this award.
Tier C: So You’re Saying There’s a Chance?
Yes, there is more than a chance for teams like Edmonton, the New York Rangers, Dallas, St. Louis, Winnipeg, Philadelphia, Seattle, and Calgary. A 1.2 to 2.4 percent chance is still a chance. After all, Nashville did surprise everyone by winning the Presidents’ Trophy in the 2017-18 season.
The most recent winner here was the Rangers, who pulled it off in 2013-14. But the Oilers, the franchise to first win the award, do have the best hockey player on the planet in Connor McDavid. And not too long ago, Calgary finished atop the Western Conference. There may be some sneakily valuable teams here.
Tier D: Is the Apocalypse Happening?
We wouldn’t put it past any of the remaining teams – from Chicago all the way down to Buffalo to make an absolute mockery of these betting odds and everything else we’ve come to know and expect in life.
It’s almost impossible. And we’re only saying “almost” because a global pandemic did just happen and a reality television star did become the President of the United States.
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