The Tampa Bay Lightning are flush off a second straight Stanley Cup triumph, after beating the Montreal Canadiens in Game 5 of the final series, but they’re not the early faves to win it again next season. Heck, they’re not even the second best bet, as early Stanley Cup futures opened to trading immediately at the conclusion of Lightning’s narrow 1-0 win over the Canadiens last week with a couple of teams priced shorter than Tampa Bay Lightning in 2022 NHL Futures.
Markets have gone to press and the Colorado Avalanche opened as the +500 faves according to BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review) amongst several other betting sites to win the Stanley Cup. The Vegas Golden Knights opened as the second best bet at +650, after which the Tampa Bay Lightning finally register as the third best bet at +700 (see complete NHL odds board listed below).
It’s worth noting that the market as it currently stands mirrors the market for last season in which the Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights were tipped as the top two bets. Tale told: the Avs bowed out in the second round of the NHL playoffs after they were eliminated by the Golden Knights in six games, while the Golden Knights were eliminated by the Canadiens in six games in the semis.
Incidentally, the Montreal Canadiens register as the seventh best bet overall in early NHL betting markets, which is a distinct upgrade from their perceived average odds in 2021 markets. They’re level on +2000 NHL odds with the NY Islanders, who finished runners-up to the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2020 and then lost to the Lightning in the semis this year.
The Carolina Hurricanes (+1100), Boston Bruins (+1400), Toronto Maple Leafs (+1400), Florida Panthers (+1800) are next up behind the three favorites to win in 2022 but ahead of the Islanders and Canadiens. None of the aforementioned went beyond the second round of the playoffs this season.
Elsewhere, new arrivals Seattle Kraken, the NHL’s latest addition to the league’s franchisee’s are priced as longshot bets at +8000. Interestingly, the yet totally and completely unknown Kraken – as yet without a single player signed onto the roster – are priced slightly shorter than the NHL’s regular outliers in recent years, including the Anaheim Ducks, the New Jersey Devils, Detroit Red Wings, Columbus Blue Jackets and Buffalo Sabres – all of which are priced at +10000.
Not since the 1980s has a team won more than two Stanley Cups in a row. The last team to win more than two were the NY Islanders (1980, 1981, 1982 and 1983). Thus, it’s no surprise that the Tampa Bay Lightning aren’t tipped as the top bet to win again in 2022 because historical trends reveal just how difficult it is to accomplish the feat. Never mind the fact that the NHL’s parity today is a great leveler of the competition and that competitiveness and equality didn’t exist back in the day.
Of course, the opportunity to pull off the three-peat is there for the taking. “Never say never…” as the saying goes. But it’s going to be a tough ask, make no mistake about it.
Coach Jon Cooper was presented with the question about a third straight title in his presser just after his boys delivered the Stanley Cup triumph at Amelie Arena. “I guess we’ll see if we can three-peat,” the Tampa Bay Lightning coach said.
Several factors could go against Tampa Bay next season, one of which is the salary cap that’s likely to alter the makeup of the team significantly during the offseason. Depending on which players stay and go Tampa Bay’s odds might improve or decline in the lead up to 2022. That’s something NHL bettors should pay particular attention to before making any brash picks at top sportsbooks.
Lightning’s captain Steven Stamkos alluded to those upcoming team changes as a motivation for their impressive back-to-back wins. “We know going forward with the salary cap world that this might be the last game that this particular group plays together,” Tampa Bay captain Steven Stamkos said after Game 5. I can’t say how much that motivated us.”
“We talked about it midway through the playoffs. We talked about it going into Game 5 of the Islanders series,” added Stamkos as he reflected on their magical run. “Let’s take advantage of this opportunity. It’s not very often you get this chance to play with a talented team like we did. And we just believed.”