The Pressure Is On For A Canadian NHL Team To Win The Stanley Cup

The pressure builds every year that a Canadian NHL team doesn’t win the Stanley Cup.

With the Edmonton Oilers nearly winning the Cup last season and a handful of Canadian squads excelling, the opportunity is there to end the 32-year drought.

The Winnipeg Jets have built a well-oiled machine as they lead the NHL. The Oilers are littered with talent but must pay multiple key players large contracts very soon. The Toronto Maple Leafs have changed their style of play in hopes of additional playoff success, and the Ottawa Senators appear to be taking the next step.

According to moneypuck.com, three Canadian teams rank in the top 10 odds of winning the Stanley Cup: the Jets, Oilers and Senators.

Related: The Wraparound: What’s Next For The Penguins, Canucks, Rangers And Flames?

At 12 percent, the Jets have the second-best odds of winning the Stanley Cup, and they trail the Carolina Hurricanes by just 0.1 percent. They also have a 69-percent chance of making the second round, a 40.4-percent chance of making it to the Western Conference final and a 22.5-percent chance of making it to the Stanley Cup finals.

Plenty can still change before the playoffs begin, but if the playoffs started today, the Jets would square off against the Calgary Flames in the first round.

The Jets beat the Flames in two of their three matchups this season and would be heavy favorites to advance.

In the second round, they would meet the Dallas Stars or the Minnesota Wild. The Stars have the second-best odds of making it to the second round, with a 63.9-percent chance. Winnipeg’s 1-1 against them this season.

If the Jets eliminate Dallas, the Vegas Golden Knights have the second-best odds of making it to the Western Conference final. The Golden Knights have had the best of the Jets in their first two meetings, but the Jets will have one final chance to answer back on April 3.

The Oilers have the seventh-best odds of winning the Stanley Cup at eight percent. They have a 59-percent chance of winning the first round, a 31.4-percent chance of going to the Western Conference final and a 16.2-percent chance of returning to the final. They have a game in hand on the Golden Knights right now despite being tied in points, so they sit first in the Pacific Division.

Their path to the final could be more difficult than Winnipeg’s. The Colorado Avalanche sit in the first wild-card spot and have much more star and offensive firepower than the Oilers’ most recent first-round opponents, the Los Angeles Kings. The Kings remain one of the best defensive groups in the NHL, but that hasn’t solved Edmonton in their last three playoff matchups.

Edmonton’s defense would need to withstand Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar while Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl try to crack Colorado’s blueline. Fortunately for the Oilers, they’re 2-0 against the Avalanche this season.

The Avalanche also have Cup-winning experience, as do the Golden Knights if they get past the Kings. Edmonton is 1-2-0 against Vegas. If they face Winnipeg in the Western Conference final, the Oilers must avenge their 6-0 loss to the Jets on Oct. 9.

But the Oilers, with their experience, improved goaltending, star power and burning desire to change last season’s outcome, have what it takes to return to the final.

Despite trailing the Maple Leafs in the standings by two points with one more game played, the Senators have better odds of winning the Cup at 3.8 percent compared to Toronto’s 2.7 percent.

If the playoffs started today, the Maple Leafs and Senators would duel in the first round. The Senators beat the Maple Leafs twice this season and three of four times last season, which makes these odds even more interesting. The Maple Leafs have a better chance of making the playoffs (89.8 percent compared to 84.5 percent for Ottawa), but the Senators hold the advantage in each round afterward.

Ottawa has the sixth-fewest goals against per game in the NHL, while Toronto is tied for the 12th-fewest. But Toronto is 13th in the most goals-for per game, while Ottawa is 19th. There’s room for improvement for both clubs.

On top of that, the Hurricanes and Florida Panthers are first and third in Cup odds, while the Eastern Conference leaders, the Washington Capitals, also have a higher chance than Ottawa of winning it all, according to Money Puck.

Money Puck also gives the Flames a 1.3-percent chance of winning the Cup, the Vancouver Canucks a 0.2-percent chance and the Montreal Canadiens a 0.1-percent chance.

Time will tell, and the odds are subject to change as the season goes on, especially with the trade deadline quickly approaching. But there is decent potential for a Canadian to end the Cup drought, and it’s a crucial opportunity for some squads that they don’t want to waste.

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