Heading into the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season, the Leafs were among the favourites to win the Cup. However, a Cinderella run by the Florida Panthers played spoiler to not only the Leafs, but also the Bruins and Hurricanes.
Coming into this season, having lost Ryan O'Reilly, Luke Schenn, Michael Bunting and others, some doubted whether or not the Leafs had improved enough with the free agent signings of Ryan Reaves, John Klingberg, Tyler Bertuzzi and Max Domi to remain among the Cup favourites. As it turns out, the odds-makers believe they did.
Per popular sportsbook, Betano, the Maple Leafs rank atop the list of teams who are most likely to win the Cup this season. They're not alone, however, as there is a 4-way tie at +900 with the Vegas Golden Knights, Carolina Hurricanes and Colorado Avalanche.
Betano not only believes that the Leafs have some of the best odds to win the Stanley Cup, they also believe that the Leafs are the frontrunner to win the Atlantic Division as well, largely due to the spectacular collapse of the Boston Bruins' roster this summer. Surprisingly, even with all of the significant roster losses in Boston, Betano still believes that the Bruins will finish 2nd in the division standings, behind the Leafs. As of this point, Betano has the Leafs' over/under ratings set at 108.5 points to Boston's 100.5 points. The Panthers and Lightning round out the top 4 with 99.5 and 97.5, respectively.
