Flames Now +1600 to Win 2020 Stanley Cup, Bumping Penguins from Top 10
By Chris Amberley in NHL Hockey
Updated: March 30, 2020 at 1:45 pm EDTPublished:
- The Calgary Flames are now a top-10 favorite to win the 2020 Stanley Cup
- The Flames were the number one seed in the West last season, but were upset in the first round of the playoffs
- Is Calgary worth betting at these odds?
The Calgary Flames had a disappointing finish to their 2018-19 campaign, but there’s no denying they’re one of the most talented teams in the NHL.
The Flames’ average 2020 Stanley Cup odds opened just outside the top-10 last week, but have already been bet down to +1600 ahead of perennial contender Pittsburgh.
2020 Stanley Cup Odds
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Tampa Bay Lightning | +675 |
| Boston Bruins | +1000 |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | +1000 |
| Vegas Golden Knights | +1000 |
| Colorado Avalanche | +1200 |
| St. Louis Blues | +1400 |
| San Jose Sharks | +1600 |
| Calgary Flames | +1600 |
| Winnipeg Jets | +1800 |
| Washington Capitals | +2000 |
| Pittsburgh Penguins | +2200 |
Odds taken 06/17/19
The core of their roster remains intact, and aside from a question mark between the pipes, there’s no reason to believe this group will not be a serious Stanley Cup contender again next season.
https://twitter.com/NHLFlames/status/1136754638651310080?s=20
Calgary’s Ceiling is Incredibly High
The Flames put together one of the best regular seasons in franchise history in 2018-19, finishing with a conference-best 107 points and a plus-62 goal-differential. They feature a trio of 30-goal scorers all under the age of 26, and the best defenseman in the league.
Mark Giordano: “FREEZE” ??? pic.twitter.com/CW79HwaTJL
— Bar South N Celly™ (@BarSouthNCelly) February 28, 2019
Only the Lightning scored more goals last season than the Flames, and all of Calgary’s key offensive pieces are in the prime of their careers. They’re fast, incredibly skilled and a nightmare to play against.
They were one of the most puck dominant teams last season and no team in the West converted a better percentage of high danger scoring chances.
“Johnny Gaudreau…NIFTY MOVE…he SCORES!”
Take a look back at the very best of Johnny Hockey’s career year. pic.twitter.com/0iQoGKlObW
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) April 30, 2019
Calgary Won’t Stay Complacent
As good as the roster is, Flames GM Brad Treliving will likely still be active in free agency or on the trade front this offseason. He has a history of making big deals and he’ll desperately be trying to unload the James Neal contract.
James Neal scratched for #Calgary tonight.
Only 4 more seasons at 5.75M.
$$$ up in #Flames pic.twitter.com/7HKwVlJXH3— Paul Almeida (@AzorcanGlobal) April 19, 2019
Calgary is short on cap flexibility at the moment, so it’s safe to assume Treliving will try to deal an expiring contract or two to solidify any holes on the roster. Everyone recognizes how close Calgary is to winning a Stanley Cup, so we can expect Treliving to pull out all the stops to make this a championship calibre team.
Buy the Flames, Sell the Penguins
While the Flames are a stock on the rise, the Penguins are trending down. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin will be another year older and Phil Kessel refuses to leave town. Their cap situation is a nightmare again and they’ve already started to unload expensive talent.
TRADE ALERT: The Penguins have acquired forward Dominik Kahun and a 2019 fifth-round draft pick from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for Olli Maatta.
Full details: https://t.co/mjPVW6s9VV pic.twitter.com/N9VCvbMTwq
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) June 16, 2019
Pittsburgh wasn’t good enough to escape the first round last season, losing in four straight to the Isles, and currently lack the depth to compete with the elite teams in the East.
Sports Writer
As SBD's resident Swiss Army Knife, Chris covers virtually every sport including NFL, PGA, NBA, MLB, NCAAB, NCAAF and the Olympics. A true grinder, he'd rather pick off small edges in the player props market than swing for the fences with a 5-leg parlay.
