Stanley Cup Final 2024: Latest Championship Odds & Biggest Storylines in NHL Conference Finals

2023-24 NHL Stanley Cup odds and the biggest conference finals storylines are brought to you by BetOnline. BetOnline is a market leader in sports betting, offering various options from NHL postseason odds to the NBA and everything in between.

As the calendar nears June, the hockey world is one step closer to naming this year’s Stanley Cup Champions.

Only four teams remain — Dallas Stars, Edmonton Oilers, Florida Panthers, and New York Rangers — as this postseason’s conference finals continue. Both series have been closely fought thus far with the matchups being fairly close heading into Friday’s action.

Even though the conference final action isn’t over yet, it isn’t too early to start thinking about who’ll hoist the Stanley Cup next month. Each of the four remaining teams is more than deserving of the honor, but only one will see its name added to the history books.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at the latest NHL Stanley Cup odds and each team’s biggest storyline as the 2023-24 conference finals continue.

NHL Stanley Cup Updated 2024 Odds

2023-24 NHL Stanley Cup odds are courtesy of BetOnline as of Friday, May 31 at 10:02 a.m. ET. 

• Florida Panthers (+130)
• Dallas Stars (+240)
• Edmonton Oilers (+290)
• New York Rangers (+875)

BetOnline’s latest Stanley Cup odds highlight just how even the remaining four clubs are. Three of those teams sit between +130 and +275 odds to win this year’s title while the fourth club — the Rangers — has +875 odds, which could quickly improve with a Game 6 win.

For three teams, winning this year’s Stanley Cup would end a decades-long drought. The Stars haven’t won it all since 1999 while the Rangers’ championship-less streak dates back to 1994. Both of those droughts are short of the Oilers, though, who last won the Cup in 1990.

Meanwhile, the Panthers are the only team of the bunch yet to etch their name on Lord Stanley’s hardware. Florida has reached two Stanley Cup Finals in its 31-year existence, however, experience championship glory hasn’t been in the cards.

Again, you can argue for any of these teams to go all the way and it would be valid. But regardless of who takes home the Stanley Cup this year, it’s exciting to know that we’re guaranteed to see a team succeed that either hasn’t won it in 25-plus years or ever.

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4 Biggest NHL Conference Storylines Ahead of Stanley Cup Final

1. Edmonton Oilers — Can they End Canada’s Drought?

Whenever someone thinks of hockey, Canada tends to be the country they associate with it. After all, the Great White North is where the NHL was founded over 100 years ago, and most of the game’s all-time greats — from Wayne Gretzky to Sidney Crosby and everyone in between — came from north of the border.

But despite Canada’s close ties to the sport, the country has gone over 30 years without taking home the Stanley Cup. The 1992-93 Montreal Canadiens were the last Canadian club to achieve the feat, meaning the drought has officially hit 31 years.

This year’s Oilers represent Canada’s final chance to win the Stanley Cup this postseason. The team is led by the dynamic duo of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, who haven’t been able to take that next step to championship glory just yet.

Edmonton looked like it was in danger of falling behind 3-1 to the Stars to begin the Western Conference Finals, however, a 5-2 victory in Game 4 evened up the situation. Now that the series is down to a best-of-3, all eyes are on the Oilers to see if they can be Canadian heroes.

2. Dallas Stars — Will Their Impressive Depth Pay Off?

While some teams — like the Oilers — tend to lean on one two or three superstars to lead them to victory, that isn’t the case for the Stars. Don’t get me wrong because Dallas does have its fair share of top-tier talent, however, it also boasts one of the deepest rosters in the NHL.

To put things into perspective, 22 different players have suited up for the Stars this postseason and 16 of them have scored at least one goal. Five Dallas players have already amassed double-digit point totals with four of them sitting with at least 15.

The Stars’ depth is one of the main reasons why they made it to the Western Conference Finals. Key players like Joe Pavelski, Matt Duchene, and Mason Marchment haven’t exactly been playing up to standards, but that hasn’t been an issue when the likes of Jason Robertson, Jamie Benn, and Wyatt Johnston have been rolling. That’s without mentioning how players like Tyler Seguin, Logan Stankoven, and Evgenii Dadonov have stepped up, too.

One of the Dallas’ lines gets shut down, another is more than capable of stepping up. Not every team is fortunate enough to have depth like that, especially when injuries pop up this late into the playoffs.

As long as the Stars’ four lines continue to create opportunities, they’re as big of a threat as anyone to win the 2024 Stanley Cup.

3. Florida Panthers — Did They Learn From Last Year’s Stanley Cup Final?

As mentioned earlier, the Panthers are the only remaining team that has yet to win the Stanley Cup. After making their first finals appearance in 1993, Florida finally returned to the big dance last season, colliding with the Vegas Golden Knights.

Unfortunately, the Panthers weren’t a match for the Golden Knights, who won their first-ever Cup in just five games. A lack of offense was Florida’s biggest issue as it was held to three or fewer goals in each game whereas Vegas averaged 5.2 goals per contest.

Having said that, sometimes teams must go through hard times to become champions. The Golden Knights even lost their first Stanley Cup Final appearance before winning five years later. Hell, the 2008 Pittsburgh Penguins lost to the Detroit Red Wings in six games before winning a seven-game series the following year. 

The Panthers are just as good as the other remaining clubs, however, it’s last year’s experience that could separate them from the pack. Matthew Tkachuk, Aleksander Barkov, Sam Bennett, etc. already know what it’s like to get to hockey’s biggest stage and that’s already helped them take a 3-2 ECF series lead over the Rangers. 

When the Panthers’ forwards, defensemen, and goaltenders are playing up to their potential, they’re adamant to defeat. Throw in last year’s Stanley Cup experience and it wouldn’t be shocking if they end up as the league’s latest champs. 

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4. New York Rangers — Can Shesterkin Continue Standing on his Head?

The Rangers have faced a lot of close calls on their road to a potential Stanley Cup Final appearance. Of their 10 postseason victories thus far, six of them came by a single goal with four of those wins taking place in overtime. 

A reliable goaltender can be the difference between winning and losing one-goal games, which is why the Rangers are lucky to have Igor Shesterkin. The former Vezina Trophy winner has played a big role in New York’s run, backstopping his way to a 2.36 goals-against average and .924 save percentage through 15 starts. 

The Rangers are currently 7-2-1 in the playoffs when Shesterkin tallies a .900 SV% or better, further illustrating how instrumental he’s been to their success. That’s without mentioning how nine of his appearances were deemed “quality starts,” per Hockey Reference. 

On the flip side, New York is only 3-2-0 when he plays below that mark.

As long as Shesterkin plays like his usual self, the Rangers can defeat any of the 31 other teams. Strong goaltending performances lead to the forwards and defensemen playing more confidently, which tends to produce results. We’ll see if the Russian netminder can help his club even up the series.

NHL Playoffs 2023-24 FAQ

When are the 2023-24 NHL Playoffs?

• The 2023-24 NHL playoffs are scheduled to begin on Saturday, April 20, and the Stanley Cup Final will begin on Saturday, June 8.

Where is the 2023-24 Stanley Cup Final?

• The location of the 2023-24 Stanley Cup Final will be determined once there is only one team remaining from each conference in the playoffs.

How can I watch the 2023-24 NHL Playoffs?

• Every game of the 2023-24 NHL postseason will be airing on ESPN, TNT, and ABC.

Where can I bet on the 2023-24 NHL Playoffs?

• Hockey bettors can wager on this year’s NHL playoffs and Stanley Cup betting odds on the majority of online sportsbooks, including the following that Betting News highly recommends: