With no fewer than 13 NHL Stanley Cups to their name, the Toronto Maple Leafs remain one of the most successful franchises in the ice hockey fraternity.
However, that statistic doesn’t tell the whole story, with the Maple Leafs having last won the Stanley Cup in 1967, with the subsequent 55 years of waiting getting increasingly painful for Toronto Maple Leafs fans.
The beginning of the 2022/23 NHL season looked set to be a new dawn for the Maple Leafs, with some strong off-season acquisitions giving Sheldon Keefe’s side a steely look to them.
However, in the early stages of the campaign, it appears that once again the Toronto Maple Leafs are set to be out of the playoff picture once more.
Optimistic Maple Leafs fans however will be confident that they can turn the season around and with time on their side, stranger things have certainly happened in the NHL.
At +1000 to win the Eastern Conference, New York-based betting experts clearly haven’t ruled out a Toronto Maple Leafs resurgence this term. In a similar vein, the Maple Leafs are +1400 to clinch their first Stanley Cup in nearly 60 years, which would be a seismic event in Canadian sporting folklore if it came to fruition.
There are plenty of sides in contention to lift the Stanley Cup once more in 2022/23 but perhaps no side carries the level of threat that Colorado Avalanche do.
The defending Stanley Cup champions, Avalanche came good when it mattered last year and are expected to be the team to beat again this term.
Coming in at +500 with only a handful of games played, Avalanche look to be the early season pace setters.
Identifying a side that has both the playing credentials and the squad depth to be in Stanley Cup contention is always tough but the Calgary Flames have the look of a potent side this term.
Coming so close to lifting the Stanley Cup last year, looks to have inspired the Flames so far this term, with plenty of attacking threats combining well with a mean defensive record.
The Calgary Flames are currently +750 to win the Stanley Cup, as they chase just the second Stanley Cup in the franchise’s history.
Elsewhere, the Eastern Conference will be eager to put down a marker this season with the Carolina Hurricanes and the Florida Panthers likely to lead the charge.
Making it through the regional division will be the priority for both the Hurricanes and the Panthers but both teams look to have playoff credentials.
Coming in at +900 and +1100 respectively to win the NHL Stanley Cup this season, both the Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers look set to be in contention this term.
