The 2023-24 NHL season is two months old, and one of the biggest storylines is how many teams with high expectations have stumbled out of the starting gate.
Look no further than any preseason Stanley Cup odds. The five teams that had the best odds to win a title per BetMGM were sixth, 11th, 14th, 19th and 25th in the league standings after the games Friday night. The most recent Stanley Cup champions were first, sixth, 15th, 20th, 18th and 21st.
There’s enough data to start to form some opinions, and to identify some weaknesses. There is time for disappointing teams to get it together, but it’s unlikely that they all will.