Break the Ice with Wildz Sports

11/12/2024, 12:00:00 PM

With the new season up and running, the NHL is once again full of conversations to start and questions to answer. That’s because the more things change, the more they stay the same.

In the midst of all the trades, acquisitions and the relocation of the Arizona Coyotes to Utah, Canada still hasn’t had a championship franchise since 1993. So what better place to start than The Great White North’s quest for a Stanley Cup winner with a Stanley Cup - Country of Winner wager. At Wildz Sports, you get odds of (+300) for a Canadian team to win it. Let’s discuss the realistic contenders.

From the verge of being swept to the brink of immortality, the Edmonton Oilers’ 2024 Stanley Cup Finals were certainly memorable. While it ended in defeat, the Oilers remain Canada’s best-in-class in 2024/2025 at (+820).

Built around the talents of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, the Oilers will bring their fast-paced offensive hockey to the fore once again this season. And bolstered by Evan Bouchard on defence, expect Oiler Nation to be a factor come the postseason.

The Toronto Maple Leafs at (+1,100) boast a fantastic top 6 offense led by newly-named captain and last season’s league leading goal scorer Auston Matthews. Furthermore, can the Leafs put ongoing goaltending issues behind them and make the playoffs (-588) and launch a deep run?

So what about the nation’s other teams?

Although a championship is out of the question for these next teams, could the Winnipeg Jets (-2,000), Ottawa Senators (-159), Calgary Flames (+235) or Montreal Canadiens (+1,600), add a playoff berth to another year of rebuilding. For Vancouver Canucks fans, the new season presents an better chance of playoff participation (-333) and a potential Stanley Cup run (+1,800).

Individually speaking, Canada does have some cause for optimism. When it comes to the Hart Memorial Trophy, Conn Smythe Trophy and Art Ross Trophy, there’s always a Canadian in the mix. Will Nathan MacKinnon repeat as league MVP or will someone else step up. What about the Chicago Blackhawks‘ Connor Bedard? Can the promising youngster swap his most outstanding rookie Calder Memorial Trophy for something more prestigious? At Wildz Sports we have the 2023 first overall draft pick at (-111) for Over 132.5 regular season points and at the same odds for the Under.

Where all-time accolades are concerned, will Alex Ovechkin finally pass Wayne Gretzky’s career goals record? Priced at (+900), last season’s haul of 31 won’t get it done, but for a future Hall of Famer like “Ovi”, can you really bet against him? He may no longer be a favourite to win the Maurice Richard Trophy, but luckily, he won’t need an award-winning season to ultimately pass the Great One.

In addition to personal trophies and seasonal outright bets, there are tons of betting opportunities in the 1,312 regular season games. Ranging from Total Goals and First Goalscorers to Goalie Shutouts, and beyond, following the action with Wildz Sports is the smart punter’s choice.

Even better, we offer the most popular betting markets such as Parlay Boosts, Bet of The Day, Wildz Boosts and the ever-creative Wildz Specials.

Elsewhere around the league, what about the Colorado Avalanche led by the aforementioned MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen on offence and Cale Makar and Devon Toews on defence. Can the Avs finally transition from perennial powerhouse to NHL champions at (+1,300). And what part will their captain Gabriel Landeskog play if he returns later in the season?

The 2023 champions, the Vegas Golden Knights, are dark horses for The Cup at (+1,600) due to their stacked offense and championship pedigree. Notably, Tomas Hertl may not even make a top-6 role. The Knights, buoyed by a raucous home crowd and the bright lights of Sin City, will once again be one of the toughest road trips for teams in the NHL.

The final word rightfully goes to the defending champs, the Florida Panthers. By and large, the Miami franchise is doubling down on their winning roster and preparing to run it back. How much will going back-to-back at odds of (+900) rely on the two-way prowess of Aleksander Barkov, one of the best forwards in the game?

There you have it. The puck stops with you. So who’s your money on for the NHL’s ultimate prize? Discover a complete list of all our betting markets such as the Jack Adams Trophy, James Norris Memorial Trophy, Vezina Trophy and more on our NHL homepage.