NHL Western Conference Odds and Picks for Top Contenders

I don’t know how else to say it, but the 2017-18 NHL season was one of the best and most exciting ever. That sentiment is true for both conferences too. While the Eastern Conference was an undeniable free-for-all for the ages that produced the eventual Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals, the Western Conference produced a knock-down, drag-out thriller of a campaign that was both, highly memorable – and historic. Now, with a handful of Western Conference teams expected to be top tier conference title contenders in 2018-19 and several others lurking as slightly less than favored contenders, this look at the odds to win the Western Conference this coming season will both, inform and entertain while giving you the insight you’ll need in order to make a smart wager or two on the value-packed NHL futures odds to win the west in 2019.

2019 NHL Western Conference Odds & Picks

Team	Odds
Nashville Predators	11/2
Winnipeg Jets	11/2
San Jose Sharks	6/1
Vegas Golden Knights	6/1
Edmonton Oilers	12/1
St Louis Blues	12/1
Anaheim Ducks	14/1
Los Angeles Kings	14/1
Calgary Flames	16/1
Chicago Blackhawks	18/1
Dallas Stars	18/1
Minnesota Wild	18/1
Colorado Avalanche	22/1
Arizona Coyotes	28/1
Vancouver Canucks	40/1

The Favorites

Nashville

The Predators went 53-18-11 last season to win the Presidents’ Trophy for the first time in franchise history. While Nashville ended up on the wrong end of a surprising second-round playoff exit at the hands of the Winnipeg Jets one year after reaching the Stanley Cup Finals. This is a team that is loaded with talent starting with 24-year-old left winger Filip Forsberg, 29-year-old perennial all-star P.K. Subban and 35-year-old goalie Pekka Rinne. They’ll contend again this coming season no doubt.

Winnipeg

The Jets went a stupendous 52-20-10 last season while ranking a phenomenal second in scoring (3.3 gpg) and fifth in goals allowed (2.6 gpg). Winnipeg has one of the game’s very best young players in 20-year-old Patrik Laine. Since entering the NHL in 2016-17, the young right winger ranks second in goals per game (0.52) behind only Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin (0.54). Along with center Blake Wheeler and goalie Connor Hellebuyck, the Jets have the look of a team that will be one of the top favorites in the west for the next five years or so at the very least.

San Jose

The Sharks went 45-27-10 last season to finish third in the Pacific Division behind Anaheim and Vegas. Still, this is a franchise that has produced 98, 99 and 100 points, respectively, in each of past three seasons under coach Peter DeBoer. San Jose will also have a sense of urgency heading into the new season seeing as how they only have nine players currently under contract for 2019-20.

Vegas

The Knights were arguably the biggest and best story in all of sports a year ago as they took the NHL by storm despite being a first-year expansion franchise on its maiden voyage. Vegas went 51-24-7 and nearly won the Stanley Cup championship before falling to Washington in five games. More importantly, the Knights now look like a team poised to contend for the foreseeable future behind all-star goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, center William Karlsson, left winger Jonathan Marchessault, right-winger Reilly Smith. Make no mistake about it, despite their status as a young franchise, Vegas is very real and has the look of a formidable team moving forward.

My Top Contender

Los Angeles

The Kings went 45-29-8 last season and they could be even better in 2018-19 if Hart finalist Anze Kopitar and Norris trophy finalist Drew Doughty continue to play at an extremely high level and the Kings get some more offensive help to go match the outstanding contributions at the other end of the ice of goalie Jonathan Quick.

My Top Longshot

Minnesota

The Wild went 45-26-11 last season to finish third in the Central Division. Minnesota has been bounced out of the playoffs in the first round for the third consecutive seasons, but the wild are also a team that has been poised for a big breakthrough for a few seasons now. One of two wise transactions could very well transform Minnesota from a longshot Stanley Cup hopeful to a legitimate contender.