This summer has been a crazy one from all the trades and free agent signings, with more still unsigned. While the Colorado Avalanche are enjoying a summer of celebration, teams like the Tampa Bay Lightning are likely done resting and now back to off-season training to prepare for the season.
With NHL expert picks still unsure who is to be crowned the 2023 Stanley Cup winner, others are still trying to decide who could advance from each conference.
Below is a list of the current favorites and top teams to win the Eastern Conference Finals.
Eastern Conference Finals Possible Winners
Toronto Maple Leafs (+375)
After getting knocked out of the first round, again, it is surprising to see the Toronto Maple Leafs as the favorite, but when the roster is built of:
- Matthews
- Marner
- Tavares
- Giordano
And more talented players, it is easy to see how they are the favorite.
Over the summer, the Leafs weren’t as busy as some may think they would be as the only big hitting moves involved the goalie position with the trade for Matt Murray and another goalie Ilya Samsonov after letting Jack Campbell walk in free agency.
Maple Leafs’ Other Movements
Other moves the Maple Leafs made this summer were the signing of Jarnkrok, Gaudette, and Aube-Kubel. Outside of free agency and trades, the Maple Leafs lost longtime veteran Jason Spezza to retirement. With the biggest moves involving the goalie position, the Maple Leafs hope it is the fix to their biggest problem from the 2022 season.
The ultimate question for the Maple Leafs to be the winner of the Eastern Conference finals is whether they will be able to get past the first round this year. This has been a struggle of theirs for years, but with a chance to break that curse, the Maple Leafs will put in their best effort yet in the 2023 season.
Florida Panthers (+425)
Getting knocked out in the playoffs as the NHL’s top team is never easy. But getting knocked out in the second round and by a sweep is really uneasy.
The Florida Panthers experienced just that in the 2022 NHL playoffs, with NHL betting stats going crazy.
Panthers Big Splash of Trade
Over the summer, the Panthers decided to make a big splash of a trade with the Calgary Flames by trading leading point scorer Jonathan Huberdeau, MacKenzie Weegar, a prospect, and a draft pick for star Matthew Tkachuk.
While making a big trade for Tkachuk, the Panthers also signed some solid guys in Del Zotto, Staal, Tierney, and Mayhew.
While they put in an offer to re-sign him, Claude Giroux left the Panthers in free agency after they traded for him at the trade deadline.
Outside of trades and signings, one of the biggest moves the Florida Panthers pulled this summer was the signing of new coach Paul Maurice.
Biggest Moves the Florida Panthers
With the rest of the team ultimately the same and with big moves like the trade for Tkachuk, the Panthers will look to redeem themselves of their second-round exit by the sweep and take another chance at the Eastern Conference finals and possibly further.
With a new coach like Paul Maurice under the helm, they have a great chance of getting that far and possibly to the finals.
Tampa Bay Lightning (+500)
Coming in as the second Florida team and the former back-to-back Stanley Cup champions, the Tampa Bay Lightning ended their 2022 season with a loss in the finals.
With NHL betting odds always solid and looking for their fourth straight trip to the finals, the Lightning will have another great chance as long as they have players like Stamkos, Kucherov, Vasilevskiy, and Hedman, which they still do.
Tampa Bay Re-Signed Contracts
Over the summer, Tampa Bay re-signed Cirelli, Cernak, and Sergachev to eight-year contracts, along with Paul to a seven-year contract. Those are some long contracts but deserving for these guys who have helped get this team where they’ve been.
Unfortunately, not everyone who has been on their run will get to continue as they lost left-wing Palat to free agency, who had been a solid player for them throughout their cup runs.
With an opportunity to play in their fourth straight final, the Tampa Bay Lightning will do all they can to make it there and possibly lift the cup for their third time in four years.
As much of their team is the same, don’t be surprised if they make it to the Eastern Conference finals or further.
Carolina Hurricanes (+600)
After a second-round exit in the 2022 playoffs, the Carolina Hurricanes enter as the fourth team on this list. NHL betting picks were all over the Hurricanes as a potential Eastern Conference winner last year but came short.
Now with a chance to redeem themselves in the 2023 season, the Hurricanes roster is relatively the same with one big change in the defense and offense.
A Third-Round Pick
The Carolina Hurricanes, like the Panthers, made a big splash by trading two players and a third-round pick for star defenseman Brent Burns.
Along with Burns, the Hurricanes also traded for veteran Pacioretty who will help this team score more goals.
Nino Niederretter A Free Agent
Outside of trades, the Hurricanes let Nino Niederetter go to free agency while they chose to re-sign center Necas and defenseman Bear.
With the roster mostly the same but bolstered with Burns and Pacioretty, the Hurricanes certainly have a team that can make it to the Eastern Conference finals and further.
As many NHL Matchups predictors had them in the finals in 2022, look for the Hurricanes to fight until the end in 2023.
New York Rangers (+900)
With a big leap in odds from fourth to fifth, the New York Rangers complete the top five Eastern Conference teams. After a disappointing Eastern Conference finals exit in 2022, the Rangers look to get back there and get that extra step of making it to the cup finals.
With Zibanejad, Panarin, Kreider, and Vezina still on the roster, the finals are definitely a possibility.
This off-season, the Rangers re-signed guys like Kakko and Blais to extensions while also letting Strome, Rooney, Copp, and Vatrano go to free agency.
Rangers’ Solid Move
The Rangers made a solid move in signing Vincent Trochek in free agency, which will help bolster the offense and get more goals scored.
Outside of these moves, the Rangers have been fairly quiet, believing they may already have the guys they need to advance far in the playoffs.
Young and Talented Bunch
As most of their roster is the same young and talented bunch that brought them to the Eastern Conference finals in 2022, the Rangers could easily make it there again but this time, hopefully going to the finals.
With Shesterkin in net and the rest of the roster playing as they do, the Rangers could be back where they were in 2022.
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