Avalanche’s Odds to Win Western Conference Title Are Second Only to Vegas

• The Colorado Avalanche are the second betting favorite to win the NHL’s Western Conference in 2019-20, sitting at +570 on average
• Only the Vegas Golden Knights (+470) have better odds
• The Avs last won the West and went to the Stanley Cup final in 2000-01

Hockey people are high on the Colorado Avalanche. And it has nothing to do with the mile high altitude in Denver, or the fact that pot is legal in the state of Colorado.

It has everything to do with the ever-improving product that the Avs put on the ice.

Sportsbooks are also buying into the hype. Currently, across a number of the leading online betting houses, the Avalanche average out as the second betting choice in NHL Western Conference odds.

2019-20 NHL Western Conference Odds

*Odds taken 07/17/19

Colorado last won the West the same season the Avs won their most recent Stanley Cup title in 2000-01.

Avalanche Are Rolling

When the Quebec Nordiques relocated to become the Colorado Avalance in 1995, it was an immediate success story. Between 1995-96 and 2001-02, the Avs won two Stanley Cups, and played in six Western Conference finals.

Then they hit a dry spell. They missed the playoffs eight times between 2006-07 and 2016-17, bottoming out with the NHL’s worst record during that 2016-17 campaign.

The Avs qualified for postseason play in 2017-18. Last season, they won their first playoff series since 2008.

Putting the Pieces in Place

Colorado found the centerpiece to a rebuild, selecting center Nathan MacKinnon first overall in the 2013 NHL entry draft. MacKinnon has averaged 40 goals and 98 points the past two seasons. Along with linemates Gabriel Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen, they combined for 106 goals and 261 points last season.

Nathan MacKinnon is incredible to watch.

And we get to watch him every. single. game.#GoAvsGo https://t.co/AJK8fnfRgJ

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) June 12, 2019

Seven of their top 10 scorers during the 2018-19 season were 25 or younger. That included second-year defenseman Samuel Girard and rookie center Tyson Jost, who both turn 21 this season.

Barrie Trade an Upgrade

On the surface, dealing defenseman Tyson Barrie might seem puzzling for a team on the rise. Barrie was seventh among NHL rearguards in points (59) and tied for eighth in goals (14).

Dreger on TSN1050 from 6 days ago: "Tyson Barrie is a "dwinger", half defence, half winger…He's going to go to the school of hard knocks for a short time with Mike Babcock, in Tyson Barrie's world there is one light and it's always green, like he is going no matter what" #Leafs

— NHL Watcher (@NHL_Watcher) July 8, 2019

Here’s why it makes sense. Barrie, 28, will be an urestricted free agent at the end of the 2019-20 season and Colorado wasn’t going to pay him the $8 million a year he’s seeking.

On top of that, Barrie was a combined minus-68 over the past four seasons. That was fifth-worst among NHL defenders.

Remember when Nylander beat out an icing, swung behind the net, and absolutely devastated multiple Avs defenders (including new Leaf Tyson Barrie) with a perfect pass to (old Leaf) Nazem Kadri?

Third-best passer in the organization right here, folks: pic.twitter.com/hWHmOgkVYO

— william nylander 4th-place lady byng voter (@mostlyleafies) July 16, 2019

By moving Barrie to Toronto for Nazem Kadri the Avs upgraded significantly at center. Kadri will slot in perfectly to give them a second scoring option after the big line. He’s a two-time 32-goal scorer who plays a 200-foot game with an edge.

Steady Improvement

The Avs knew that Barrie was expendable the moment they saw D Cale Makar, 20, in action during the playoffs. Their 2017 first-round pick collected six points in 10 playoff games. He’ll be right there with Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko in the Calder Trophy race this season.

Quiet summer moves that made them significantly better were the free-agent additions of forwards Andre Burakovsky, Joonas Donskoi and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare. All have Stanley Cup final playing experience.

The West is wide-open. Winnipeg, Nashville and San Jose all lost key pieces. St. Louis gives off the scent of a one-and-done champ.

The Avs are a great bet to win the Western Conference. Let’s hope you got in on them before the odds plummeted.

If not, act today before the odds go lower.