The Edmonton Oilers trail the Vegas Golden Knights 1-0 in their second-round series. Is there value in backing their current Stanley Cup price?
Odds courtesy of the FanDuel Sportsbook.
Edmonton Oilers +550 to Win the Stanley CupEntering the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Edmonton Oilers owned the second-shortest odds to win the Stanley Cup. After dropping Game 1 on the road to Vegas, the Oilers’ odds have dropped slightly to the fourth-shortest odds at +550. It was a disappointing loss against Vegas, considering Leon Draisaitl found the back of the net four times. Still, the offense was not a concern for the Oilers; it was whether or not their defense could survive playoff hockey. Game 1 didn’t inspire confidence, with the Oilers getting cooked multiple times on defense and starting goalie Stuart Skinner allowing five goals.
The Oilers acquired Mattias Ekholm, hoping he could help shore up their defensive issues. He’s performed admirably but can’t be on all three pairings. Moving the puck hasn’t been a problem for the backend, especially with Evan Bouchard taking over powerplay duties. However, defensively he’s struggled, a theme for most of the Oilers’ defenders.
Connor McDavid has continued to perform at an elite level, but there is speculation that he is dealing with an injury. McDavid still has 12 points in seven games, but he has another level.
Edmonton proved during their run to the Western Conference Final in 2022 that they could take care of business in the playoffs. This team is deeper at both ends and has a more competent goalie with Skinner between the pipes. If the Oilers hope to capitalize on McDavid and Draisaitl’s competitive window, this is the year to do it. Edmonton has the star power to win their first Stanley Cup since 1990, and even if they trail Vegas 1-0, there’s no reason they can’t hoist Lord Stanley in 2023.
