New York Islanders Have 30-1 Odds To Win Cup in 2017

The New York Islanders are right in the middle of the pack out of all 30 teams. Is that fair for a team that went to the second round?

Ben Fawkes of ESPN, posted the odds for the 2017 Stanley Cup courtesy of the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook. The Islanders who advanced out of the first time in 23 years found themselves with 30-1 odds to win the Stanley Cup in 2017.

Here’s the complete Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook Odds

The recently crowned champs, the Pittsburgh Penguins are tied with the Washington Capitals for second best odds at 8-1. While the Western Conference champs have 12-1 odds to win it all in 2017. It’s the Blackhawks who took a first round exit with the best odds to win the Stanley Cup in 2017.

To put this in perspective lets look at the teams, who like the Islanders took a second round exit. The Capitals have 8-1 odds, the Stars with 12-1 odds and Predators with 25-1 odds. So out of the teams who got bounced in round two the Islanders have the worst odds at 30-1.

My question is how do these odds work or what are they based off of. The Panthers who the Islanders beat in the first round have 14-1 odds, the Kings and Ducks both have 12-1 odds and they took an early exit.

The Wild at 20-1 and the Rangers at 25-1 have better odds than the Islanders as well yet didn’t get out of the first round. Even the Canadiens who didn’t make the playoffs have 14-1 odds. Why is a second round team so over looked in favor of these teams?

Are the New York Islanders as Good as The Edmonton Oilers?

As it sits right now are the Islanders a real legit, cup contender? Realistically, probably not, but why are they so low compared to teams who fared similarly or even worse than they did this past year?

They have the same odds as Edmonton who finished the season with 70 points! The Edmonton Oilers are certainly a team on the rise don’t get me wrong but to have the Islanders and Oilers have the same odds to win it all is a disrespect to this Islanders team.

It’s early and things certainly can change quickly but going into this year the Islanders were at 20-1 odds to win the cup. What made them drop back to 30-1? Last year the Islanders lost in the first round and this year the Islanders won a round yet have worse odds going into next year.

It’s hard enough having to be the “baby brother” to the Rangers but to be nationally disrespected too is a slap in the face. The Islanders took great strides this year and it was disheartening to see them be over looked to this extent.

To reiterate as they sit now they have work to do before they are a real threat to win the cup, but to be so far back was a surprise to me. I guess the Islanders will be surprising some people in 2017.