NHL Odds: Three Reasons The Devils Can Win the Cup

The New Jersey Devils play defending Stanley Cup Champions tonight, and FanDuel’s NHL odds have the Devils at 13 to 1 (+1300) to win it all. As Ric Flair often said, “To be the man, you have to beat the man.”

The Devils did just that on Tuesday.

New Jersey dismantled the Panthers, winning 4-1 in what some consider their most complete game of the season. New Jersey must again measure against the longest stick in the NHL.

The NHL Regular Season is an 82-game war of attrition, and two wins against the Panthers likely won’t move the Devils’ Stanley Cup odds much, if at all. Stagnant odds aren’t bad, especially if you think the Devils have a real shot to go all the way.

Here are three reasons to bet the New Jersey Devils at +1300 to win the Stanley Cup.

1. Jakob Markstrom Gives the Young Devils Stability

The 2023-24 New Jersey Devils used five starting goaltenders throughout the season. The goalie carousel didn’t provide much cushion for a young, mistake-prone squad. The Devils allowed an average of 3.22 goals per game last year.

Recognizing the need for goaltending, Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald traded for 34-year-old Jakob Markstrom.

Markstrom hasn’t been remarkable during the early part of the 2024-25 campaign, but he did show what he’s capable of in Tuesday’s 4-1 victory over the Florida Panthers. Markstrom stopped Florida’s early onslaught, turning away all 14 first-period shots.

2. The Devils Have Defensive Depth

Defenseman Brett Pesce has returned from injury to round out a defensive corps featuring Dougie Hamilton and the talented but young Luke Hughes.

Hughes was a Calder Trophy finalist last year with nine goals and 38 assists.

A healthy defensive corps changes the trajectory of the Devils, a team that suffered numerous injuries last season. If Pesce can regain his 2022-23 form, where he netted 30 points and a plus/minus of +11, the Devils will be more than solid on the blue line.

A resurgent Jonas Siegenthaler has also solidified the Devils penalty kill, currently ranking eighth in the NHL, killing 84% of the team’s penalties.

3. The Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt Combo

Jack Hughes is a legitimate NHL superstar. After a 99-point 2022-23 season, Hughes hit a wall last year. Injuries kept him out of 20 games, and his goal production dropped from 43 to 27.

This year, Hughes is averaging a point per game and appears to be on the rise thanks to the play of his linemate, Jesper Bratt.

The Bratt-Hughes-Palat line scored the always-important first goal on Tuesday night against the Panthers. Bratt has also netted 21 points in 19 games this season.

The Devils’ fortunes rest on Hughes, but no superstar can win a Stanley Cup alone. Wayne Gretzky had Jarri Kurri. Bryan Trottier had Mike Bossy. Now Hughes might have his partner in Jesper Bratt.

If the Hughes line can take off during the middle portion of the season, this Devils team could easily jettison near the top of the Stanley Cup favorites.