NHL Futures Wager: Colorado Avalanche to Win the Stanley Cup

The NHL Season starts next week, and the schedule has been expanded to 84 games for each team.  Last year, I cashed the Carolina Hurricanes at +850 to win the Stanley Cup (I cashed 3 of my 6 Futures selections last year).  This season, my selection for the 2026-2027 NHL Stanley Cup Champions will be the Colorado Avalanche (currently +750 at FanDuel).  Last season, the Avalanche were cruising along, easily making the playoffs while winning their division for the fourth time in the last six years.  They continued cruising in the first two rounds of the post-season, easily defeating the Kings and Wild to get to the Conference Finals.  But that's when the wheels fell off.  Colorado was swept by the surprising Golden Knights and its season was abruptly over.  The Avs had a two-headed monster last season: the best offense in the NHL (3.63 goals for per game) and the best goaltending to go with it.  The "Wood" brothers (Scott Wedgewood and Mackenzie Blackwood) were phenomenal last season between the pipes and both return to the Avs for an encore and what they hope will be a different outcome in the playoffs.  Oh, and by the way, the Avs' defense was very good as well as it allowed 26.1 shots against per game -- 5th best in the NHL.

   

As you might expect, the Avs didn't need to do much in the off-season as far as acquiring new talent, and they didn't -- although they did fill in a bit around the edges with some depth players like center Jaden Schwartz, and former first-round winger Zachary L'Heureux.  They'll have to stay healthy and get it done pretty much with the roster they have as there isn't much cap space to play with.  With that crushing 4-0 Conference Finals sweep still fresh in their minds, you can bet that the Avs will be going out with a purpose this season.  And that purpose is to win their fourth Stanley Cup in franchise history.  Take the Avalanche at +750.   

Good luck, as always, 
Al McMordie.