Stanley Cup Playoffs Betting: NHL Futures, Picks, and Conn Smythe Bets for NHL Playoffs

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Published on April 17, 2023

Stanley Cup Playoffs Picks: Expert NHL Betting Roundtable for 2023 NHL Playoffs

It's the most wonderful time of the year. With superstars buzzing and every rabid fan base cussing when the goal horns are sounding! The NHL Playoffs feature the most electrifying action of any sport's postseason. Because it's the Cup, that beautiful chalice ordained by Lord Stanley that symbolizes the mountaintop climbed by the league's best year in and year out. Players will play through injuries that would kill average humans. Underdogs turn into heroes. Legends are born. All in pursuit of lifting the coolest trophy in all of sports. -Grant Leonard

As the postseason gets rolling, here are the best NHL futures to keep your eye on the next time you make a fresh deposit to your bankroll on your favorite sportsbook!

Check out the best NHL betting sites to find the best offers in your area for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

2023 Stanley Cup Odds

Bruins (+340 at FanDuel)
Avalanche (+700 at FanDuel)
Maple Leafs (+900 at DraftKings)
Oilers (+900 at BetMGM)
Devils (+1200 at DraftKings)
Hurricanes (+1200 at FanDuel)
Rangers (+1200 at DraftKings)
Golden Knights (+1400 at DraftKings)
Stars (+1600 at FanDuel)
Lightning (+2000 at PointsBet)
Wild (+2200 at DraftKings)
Kings (+3000 at FanDuel)
Panthers (+3000 at Panthers)
Jets (+4000 at PointsBet)
Kraken (+4000 at DraftKings)
Islanders (+5000 at DraftKings)

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Stanley Cup Playoffs: Conference Winner Picks

NHL Eastern Conference Winner

Damn, the East is loaded. I think any of these teams would be competitive against any team from the West, and I'd pick almost all of them over almost all of the Western Conference teams if it came down to it. I think the Eastern Conference Final could arguably be the true championship series since the Top 4 teams in the regular season standings were from the East. Here are the 3 teams that I am looking at the most to get through this gauntlet.

Boston Bruins +200

The Bruins had a record-setting regular season, winning 65 games and collecting 135 points. Their 65 wins topped the 62 put up by the 1995-96 Detroit Red ings and the 2018-19 Tampa Bay Lightning and their 135 points topped the 132 put up by the 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens. They are the clear favorites to not only win East but also to win it all (more on that later). But with great power comes great responsibility, and they come into the postseason with extraordinary expectations and some ghosts of those past powerhouses that didn't find playoff success. The Wings lost in the Western Conference Final in '96, and the Lightning were swept in the first round by the Blue Jackets in '19. There's not much to hate on these Bruins though. They've got a game-breaking superstar in David Pastrnak who potted 61 goals in the regular season. Linus Ullmark is the favorite to win the Vezina and together with Jeremy Swayman combined to win the Jennings Trophy for allowing the fewest goals in the NHL this season. Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, and David Krejci have all won the Cup with the B's before. Charlie McAvoy leads a defensive core that allowed the fewest goals against per game, and also allowed 2 goals or fewer in 52 of their 82 games. And heck, when you have a former Hart Trophy winner in Taylor Hall on your third line, you know you've got a chance to go deep.

Toronto Maple Leafs +550

The prospect of the Leafs winning the East hinders on two things, but one major thing in particular. First and foremost, they must get out of the First Round for the first time since 2004. If there was a year to do it, it's this year. Although they drew the Lightning - an obviously tough test - this is their time. They beat the Bolts in the season series with 2 regulation wins and only suffered one overtime loss. The Leafs were consistently one of the strongest teams league-wide all season, and the Lightning were sputtering late in the season. Mitch Marner has never played better. William Nylander had a career year. Auston Matthews is still Auston Matthews. John Tavares and former Conn Smythe winner (with the '19 Blues) Ryan O'Reilly round out a complementary core that's capable of competing with any roster out there. Ilya Samsonov had a breakout year in net and was one of the best goaltenders in the NHL this season. If the Leafs can get out of the first round, then I think they have a good chance to push the Bruins to the brink in the second round, which is the second major thing that needs to happen for them to win the East. IF - and if is capitalized intentionally there - both of these things can somehow happen, I think they can ride that magical momentum to a Cup appearance.

New York Rangers +650

This team was constructed to win the Cup as soon as possible. Last year's rendition of the Rags saw them 2 wins away from the Cup after losing in 6 games to the Lightning in the Eastern Conference Final. Igor Shesterkin is one year removed from winning the Vezina and went 12-3-1 with a 1.98 goals-against average and a .934 save percentage with two shutouts in his last 16 starts in the regular season. He gives his team a chance to win any given night with those stats. He's got a star-studded cast in front of him too. Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad lead one of the deepest forward groups in the league that only got stronger at the trade deadline with the acquisitions of Vladimir Tarasenko and former Conn Smythe winner (with the '13 Blackhawks) Patrick Kane. Adam Fox is an elite defenseman, and captain Jacob Trouba and K'Andre Miller lead a smashmouth group on the back end that all play hard-nosed playoff-style hockey. Not to mention Madison Square Garden is one of the best postseason atmospheres in all of sports, this team has the pedigree to give any team a run for its money.

Also considering: Carolina Hurricanes +550, New Jersey Devils +650

NHL Western Conference Winner

I definitely lean toward the East as being the deeper conference, but the West does boast the most recent Cup winner and has some squads that can go toe-to-toe with the best of 'em. Not only do I think these teams mentioned below have good chances to win the West, but I think all of them would have great chances to win it all if given the chance.

Colorado Avalanche +275

The defending Cup champs have been on a mission in the back half of the season. They started slow but gradually got better and better as the season wore on, and were one of the best teams in the NHL down the stretch going 8-1-1 in their last 10 games to win the Central Division. Nathan MacKinnon is a godsend. He finished 5th in scoring with 111 points in only 71 games. Mikko Rantanen finished 8th with 105 points and 3rd in goals with 55. Alexander Georgiev impressed in his first season as a full-time starter in net and notched 40 wins, which trailed only Linus Ullmark of the Bruins. The Avs are a deep team and get significant contributions from Artturi Lehkonen, Devon Toews, JT Compher, and Valeri Nichushkin. The Avs have all the weapons to make another deep run, but their path out of the West may depend on the health of superstar defenseman and last year's Conn Smythe winner Cale Makar who missed the last seven games of the regular season with a lower-body injury after missing nine games in a 10-game stretch from February 9-March 1 with a concussion.

Edmonton Oilers +300

Speaking of godsends, have you heard of Connor McDavid? If you haven't, he's the guy who dropped 153 points with 64 goals this season. He's maybe the best player since Wayne Gretzky and is on a warpath to bringing Edmonton its first Cup since the Great One's late-80s Oilers did it 4 times. But then the Oilers also have Leon Draisaitl who finished 2nd in scoring with 128 points and 4th in goals with 52. But wait, there's more! Former #1 overall pick Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had a renaissance season finishing 9th in scoring with 104 points, and Zch Hyman even played at a point-per-game pace with 83 points of his own. Evander Kane is built for the playoffs. Trade deadline acquisition Mattias Ekholm brought the kind of toughness on the back end that the Oilers need to win in the postseason, and his addition only elevated the games of Darnell Nurse and Evan Bouchard among the rest of the D core. If McDavid and Draisatl can keep doing their thing and the rest of the supporting cast fall in line, this team is as good as any as evidenced by their 14-0-1 finish to the regular season. The deciding factor for this club will be in net. Can Stuart Skinner and Jack Campbell rise to the occasion?

Dallas Stars +600

All I can say is don't sleep on the Stars. They were consistently at the top of the bracket in the West all season and only surrendered the Central Division lead to the Avalanche by 1 point. They've got the star power up front and the scoring depth to back it up. Jason Robertson proved he will be a major producer in this league for years to come finishing 7th with 109 points and 7th in goals with 46. Jamie Benn, Joe Pavelski, and Tyler Seguin all add some veteran leadership while Roope Hintz had a point-per-game year in his own right. The Stars play a tight, tough defensive structure and have a game-breaker in Miro Heiskanen to lead their D core. Jake Oettinger is one of the league's steadiest netminders and almost single-handedly stole the first-round series against the Flames last year. The Stars allowed 2.62 goals per game this season, good for best in the West and third in the NHL. I think they have the best chance to contend with the Avs or the Oilers in a 7-game series, and I wouldn't be surprised if they get the chance to do so.

Also considering: Vegas Golden Knights +600, Los Angeles Kings +900

Stanley Cup Winner

I think this year's postseason will be wacky, wild, and wonderful as I think there are truly more than even the 6 teams mentioned above that have the framework to win it all. For the sake of this article, I'll focus on ranking my considerations for the Conference winners.

Top Choices - Eastern Conference

It's hard not to pick the Bruins to win it all, but they'll have to shake the Presidents' Trophy curse to do it. The '13 Blackhawks were the last to lift the Cup as a Presidents' Trophy winner and that was during a lockout-shortened season. I think these B's have a better pedigree than even that Hawks team, but with that, it's tough to face your first true adversity in the postseason when other teams have done it earlier. For that reason, I like the Rangers. They've had their ups and downs this season but still managed to remain one of the league's top teams. They're only stronger with the likes of Kane and Tarasenko. Shesterkin is probably the best goalie not named Vasilevskiy in the world, and the latter has already won two Cups. Their game-changer is their defense though. If Trouba, Miller, and Adam Fox's D partner Ryan Lindgren can play angry like they usually do, I think this Rags team has what it takes to go all the way. Speaking of adversity, that may be the theme of the Matthews and Marner era of the Maple Leafs. If they can get out of the first round, I do think the sky is the limit for them.

NHL Eastern Conference Champion Picks

Grant Leonard: Top pick: Rangers +650; Runner-up pick: Bruins +200; Bronze: Maple Leafs +550

I also wouldn't sleep on the Hurricanes (+1100) or the Devils (+1200) in the East though. I'd actually favor them both over any team out West and in order to get there, they'd have to beat the top picks above. If they can beat those teams, they can beat anybody in a 7-game series. -Grant Leonard

Dan Dobish: Rangers (+700 at FanDuel)

NHL Western Conference Champion Picks

I think the Oilers are coming out of the West. McDavid is a cut above any other superstar talent, and that's really saying something when MacKinnon is also in his Conference. A Cup winner needs a bona fide superstar, and the Oilers have 2 if you include Draisaitl. The team itself is playing its best hockey in the McDavid era too. They're able to beat you in a high-scoring affair or a low-scoring grind. If Makar can get healthy in Colorado, then the Avs have a serious shot to repeat, especially since MacKinnon and Rantanen are playing at such high levels. There are question marks in net for both those teams though, and with the importance of goaltending at such a premium in the playoffs, Oettinger gives the Stars a true chance to win it all especially when coupled with their depth and veteran leadership and their own superstar in Robertson.
But hey, sometimes there are just teams of destiny that no one is really expecting much from but end up powering through the field. The Golden Knights (+1400) were the best road team in the West all season, and road wins are so crucial in the playoffs. They have a solid group on all ends of the ice, and who knows, maybe Jonathan Quick can spark a miracle for his new club. His old club, the Kings (+2200), also could surprise a lot of people. If they get out of the first round against the Oilers, I think anything is possible for them. -Grant Leonard

Grant Leonard's Western Conference Picks: Top pick: Oilers +250; Runner-up pick: Stars +700; Bronze pick: Avalanche +275 (DraftKings)

Dan Dobish's Western Conference Picks: Avalanche +275 (DraftKings)

Stanley Cup Matchup Prediction

Grant Leonard: Edmonton Oilers (+350 to make Cup Finals) vs New York Rangers (+700)

Dan Dobish: New York Rangers (+700) vs. Colorado Avalanche (+275)

Stanley Cup Champion Picks

Grant Leonard: Oilers (+900 at BetMGM)

Dan Dobish: Rangers in 6 (+1200 at BetMGM - to win Stanley Cup)

Conn Smythe Trophy Bets

Grant Leonard lays out the cases for the top Conn Smythe candidates from each team in the playoffs.

Top Contenders

Boston Bruins

Charlie McAvoy +4500

Defense wins championships. McAvoy is the best defender on the best (regular season) team, and if the B's are going to find playoff success, they'll need him to rise to the occasion. 2 of the last 3 Conn Smythe winners were defensemen, after all.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Auston Matthews +2000

If the Leafs win the Cup, it could be a performance a la 2018's Alex Ovechkin that earns Matthews the Conn Smythe. This goal-scoring machine is primed to explode in the postseason, and he may not even need to score the most overall points on the Leafs to win the award should they get that far. Ovi trailed Evgeny Kuznetsov the year the Caps hoisted the Cup.

New York Rangers

Patrick Kane +6500

I want to believe in fairytales, and Kane balling out in the postseason en route to the Rangers capturing the Cup would be just that. He's finally settled into his new city and club, and he came to the Big Apple with one goal in mind: lifting Lord Stanley.

Colorado Avalanche

Nathan MacKinnon +1600

He can win games by himself. If the Avs repeat, MacKinnon will have won a handful of games by himself on their way back to the top.

Edmonton Oilers

Connor McDavid +800

The better question here would be: if the Oilers win how can you not give McDavid the award for best overall player when he is already the best overall player?

Dallas Stars

Jake Oettinger +3500

I see an Oettinger win here like I see Jonathan Quick back in 2012 with the Kings. No doubt would it require full team efforts for this club to win it all, but Oettinger would undoubtedly be the difference maker in tightly contested bouts in every round.

Carolina Hurricanes

Brent Burns +5000

Speaking of defensemen, Burns is the best defender on arguably the best defensive club in the league. If the Canes are going to win it all, they might need Burns and his beard to will it into existence.

New Jersey Devils

Nico Hischier +5500

Sure, Jack Hughes gets all the praise but it's captain Nico Hischier who is really the backbone of this Devils team. He contributes on every inch of the ice, and it's a complete centerman like him that can channel the end-to-end performances that earned Jonathan Toews, Sidney Crosby and Ryan O'Reilly the mantle in years past.

Vegas Golden Knights

Alex Pietrangelo +6500

Many argue that Pietrangelo could've won this award when he helped the Blues win it all in 2019. If the Knights find themselves at the top of the mountain when all is said and done, he'd maybe be the one to get the Cup from Gary Bettman and for that reason, I think he'd be the team's MVP too.

Los Angeles Kings

Adrian Kempe +4500

Someone needs to score big goals in big moments for any team to hoist the Stanley Cup. I think Kempe is that guy for these Kings.

Dan Dobish's Conn Smythe Pick: Igor Shesterkin (+2800 at BetMGM)

Dan Dobish's Stanley Cup Playoffs Breakdown

The Boston Bruins had an amazing season, and, in fact, a record-setting regular season. But the B's face the curse of the President's Trophy, and it's a strong one. It's inexplicable, really, but we haven't had a President's Trophy winner hoist Lord Stanley's Cup 2012-13, when the Chicago Blackhawks accomplished the feat. In fact, we have seen the best team in the regular season, in terms of points, exit in the second round or earlier in seven consecutive seasons. Since Chicago's win, the Bruins have won the President's Trophy two other times, and they were sent to the golf course in the second round on each occasion. Is this season going to be different? I wouldn't bet on it, especially since the Eastern Conference is a beast.

I like the Rangers to meander through the Stanley Cup playoffs, and eventually link up with the defending champ Colorado Avalanche for all of the marbles. One, I trust Igor Shesterkin way more than Linus Ullmark in the crease, especially since the latter has ZERO career postseason wins, and just two playoff starts. That's obviously going to change in these playoffs, as the B's aren't going to pull a 2019 Lightning disappearance, getting swept in the first round. However, it wouldn't be shocking in the least to see the Bruins bounced in the second round or the conference finals.

In the Western Conference, I wanted to get a little riskier, and take the Vegas Golden Knights, but for the same reasons I don't like the B's, I don't like VGK - goaltending. I am not about to risk hard-earned money on journeyman Laurent Brossoit and/or a super aging Jonathan Quick. I don't trust the Edmonton Oilers in the postseason, and the Dallas Stars are the only other team I'd consider in the west, but even they have their flaws. As such, you have to go with experience, and the Colorado Avalanche have a lot of it, and just celebrated a title last season. However, the Rangers will not cool off when the teams clash in the Stanley Cup Final, with the Blueshirts skating away with their second Stanley Cup since 1940, and fifth-ever in the Original Six franchise's history.

I flipped between Shesty and Mika Zibanejad for the Conn Smythe Trophy, awarded to the best player in the postseason. In fact, Shesterkin would be a rare goalie win for the award, as we've had just one backstop, Andrei Vasilevsky in 2021, win the award since Quick earned the hardware in 2012. And only nine tendies since 1988 have ended up winning the award, so Shesterkin is a bit of a risky pick.