2021 Stanley Cup Odds: Oilers Remain With Favourites
3 years ago
by OddsShark (@OddsShark) – Sponsored Post
The Edmonton Oilers saw a promising season come to an abrupt end with an early playoff exit this past summer. However, that postseason disappointment has not dampened the Oilers’ position on the 2021 Stanley Cup odds, where they are listed as a respectable +2200 wager at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
After falling just short of claiming a top four seed in the Western Conference, the Oilers entered the NHL playoff bubble at +1800 odds to win the Stanley Cup at online betting sites. However, with their qualifying round series loss to the Chicago Blackhawks, the Oilers have now won just one postseason series since last advancing to the Stanley Cup Final in 2006.
Oilers management has kept busy in the wake of the team’s playoff ouster, addressing needs at all positions through free agency. Most notable among the club’s recent signings have been defenceman Tyson Barrie and veteran forward Kyle Turris. Forward Jesse Puljujärvi has also agreed to return to the Oilers, with the former fourth overall pick inking a two-year deal after spending last season in Finland.
The moves continue the team’s strategy of bolstering the lineup by adding both veteran talent and the occasional reclamation project. That strategy paid dividends last season, with veterans like goaltender Mike Smith and forwards James Neal and Alex Chiasson emerging as contributors. The club also made a four-point gain in the standings over the previous season despite playing just 71 regular season games, with younger players like Kailer Yamamoto, Ethan Bear, and Darnell Nurse continuing to show steady development.
One of the biggest challenges facing the Oilers will be keeping pace with the competition within the Pacific Division. In addition to the defending division champion Vegas Golden Knights, both the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks have taken steps to improve their lineups in the first days of free agency. But while they tallied just one more regular season win than Vancouver and Calgary, the Oilers enter the offseason trailing only Vegas, Colorado, and Dallas among Western Conference clubs on the Stanley Cup odds board.
Fresh off their signing of free agent defenceman Alex Pietrangelo, the Golden Knights sit even with the Avalanche as strong +800 co-second favorites on the 2021 Stanley Cup odds. Despite facing a salary cap crunch that is forcing them to make tough personnel decisions in the wake of their recent Stanley Cup win, the Tampa Bay Lightning remain set as +750 Stanley Cup favorites.
The Boston Bruins follow at +1200 on those NHL odds, ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Washington Capitals at +1800, and the Dallas Stars and Philadelphia Flyers at +2000, while the Oilers are joined at +2200 by the New York Islanders and St. Louis Blues.
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