Oilers open in middle of the 2022 Stanley Cup odds

After making yet another disappointing early exit from the NHL playoffs, the Edmonton Oilers look to the upcoming campaign lagging as a middling +2500 wager on the 2022 Stanley Cup odds at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com (how sports betting works).

Edmonton enjoyed a resurgence during the pandemic-shortened 2020/21 season, picking up 35 victories in just 56 outings. However, the Oilers failed to duplicate that effort during the postseason, bowing out to the underdog Winnipeg Jets in four games, marking their sixth opening-round defeat in their past eight playoff appearances.

The Oilers face a number of offseason challenges, including important personnel decisions involving a number of players set to become unrestricted free agents, including defenceman Tyson Barrie. The 29-year-old had a strong first season in Edmonton, racking up 48 points, and trailed only Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl with 23 power play points.

Bolstering the supporting cast surrounding McDavid and Draisaitl has also emerged as a huge priority after the duo combined to produce just nine points during their first-round loss.

One positive for the Oilers is their expected return to the Pacific Division next season. While the Vegas Golden Knights will be comfortably set as the favorites to repeat as division winners in the Pacific, the Oilers could be well positioned to pad their point total against multiple divisional rivals that failed to make the playoffs last season.

While the Oilers enter the offseason knotted with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals as a +2500 wager on the Stanley Cup futures at online sports betting sites, the Maple Leafs once again lead all Canadian clubs as a +1400 bet.

Toronto sits just ahead of the surprising Montreal Canadiens, who sport solid +2000 odds in the wake of their impressive march to the Stanley Cup Final. However, like the Oilers, the Canadiens face a summer of potentially massive changes in the lineup. In addition, uncertainty continues to linger over whether this year’s Cinderella squad can duplicate their steady efforts over the grind of an 82-game campaign.

The Winnipeg Jets sit at +4000, ahead of the Calgary Flames, who join the Vancouver Canucks at +5000 on those NHL betting futures, while the Ottawa Senators trail amongst the Canadian clubs at +6600.

At the top of the Stanley Cup odds, the Colorado Avalanche lead the way as +500 favorites despite bowing out of the playoffs in the second round. The Golden Knights sit second at +600, where they are closely trailed by the Tampa Bay Lightning, who sport +700 odds of becoming the first team to win three straight Stanley Cup titles since the New York Islanders won four in a row in the early 1980s.