2023-24 Stanley Cup Opening Odds: Can Golden Knights Defend Crown?
Vegas Looks to Become Third Repeat Champion in Nine Years

The Vegas Golden Knights became the fastest expansion team to win the Stanley Cup. Now can they be the fastest team to win consecutive titles? The 2023-24 Stanley Cup opening odds peg Vegas at 14-1 to repeat as champions, which is tied with their adversaries: Florida. There are at least six other teams with shorter lines. But as recent history suggests, Vegas could be a valuable bet to repeat.
The Stanley Cup: The Hardest Trophy to Win?
It is often said that winning the Stanley Cup is the hardest in sports. The long and grueling NHL season coupled with the game’s speed and physicality does attest to that idea. However, the NHL has had more repeat champions in the past decade than the other four major North American professional sports leagues.
Tampa Bay won consecutive Stanley Cup titles in 2020 and 2021 while Pittsburgh did in 2016 and 2017. But prior to Pittsburgh, no team defended its title since Detroit in 1997 and 1998. Other teams like Chicago, Los Angeles, and Boston made repeat trips to the finals but never won in consecutive years.
Consistency is a major factor in determining the fate of a Stanley Cup champion. Some champions like Carolina in 2006 or Anaheim in 2007 had plenty of turnovers the next season. They did not come close to defending their titles. But others like Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay, and Chicago kept their core intact.
The Golden Knights, who have most of their best NHL players locked up for next season, could just make another run at the Stanley Cup.
Golden Knights Could be Even Better in 2023-24
The Knights have star players like Jonathan Marchessault, Mark Stone, and Jack Eichel locked up until at least this coming season. However, centers Marchessault and Chandler Stephenson and defenseman Alec Martinez are on expiring deals.
Vegas has no wiggle room to deal with its salaries so the team will need to offload some contracts this offseason or attempt to fix it via trades. Nothing should be surprised with this team that has nonchalantly traded away star players like Marc-Andre Fleury or Max Pacioretty in the past.
But Marchessault is the Conn Smythe Trophy winner and one of six original players left on the team. Depending on what Vegas does, the team’s line will change from its 2023-24 Stanley Cup opening odds.
Vegas will likely place highly on the 2023-24 NHL standings again. The team is relatively young. Only four players on the team are older than 32 years. Stone is 31. Eichel is 26. And star goaltender Adin Hill is just 27. This team may start to slow due to the “Stanley Cup hangover.” But it could finish strong and make another deep run.
Other Contenders: Boston, Colorado, and… Buffalo?
The Usual Teams are Near the Top
But as good as Vegas can be, the 2023-24 Stanley Cup opening odds don’t favor it for a reason. Powerhouses like Boston (+800) and Edmonton (+900) have shorter odds. The 2022 champions Colorado (+800) and Carolina (+1000) shouldn’t be discounted either.
Boston got upset by Florida in the first round. But this is still mostly the same team that set multiple NHL regular season records and finished with 65 wins and 135 points. Carolina has consistently made deep playoff runs and as a young team, the Hurricanes get better each season.
Over in the West, Vegas will likely have to beat Edmonton again as it did this past season. The Oilers still have the best tandem in the NHL with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. And Colorado will likely have its captain, Gabriel Landeskog back. It’s unlikely the team gets ravaged by injuries again as it did this past season.
Sabres Among Upstarts That Could Shake Up Odds
Every season, there is a team that surprises and proves the NHL expert picks wrong. This last season, it was Florida who went from the lowest seed in the East to a Stanley Cup finalist. In 2023-24, there are a few contenders like Seattle (+3300) or the New York Islanders (+5000). But what about Buffalo?
The Sabres were an offensive juggernaut for the first half of the season. Led by Tage Thompson, who has drawn comparisons to Mario Lemieux, the Sabres scored at will. In fact, the team finished fourth on 5-on-5 goals. If Buffalo can fix its goaltending and penalty-killing issues, Buffalo will be a hot bet to contend.
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