Two weeks after the draft, the Stanley Cup market is starting to settle, and the early offseason winners are already showing up on the oddsboard.
No team has climbed more than Edmonton and Washington. The Oilers moved from +1200 to +900 on theScore Bet, while the Capitals shortened from +1800 to +1200. Both clubs have drawn a stronger read from bettors, even if neither has caught the three teams sitting at the top of the board: the Panthers, Avalanche, and Hurricanes.
Edmonton’s rise is less about one blockbuster splash and more about a string of moves that clearly caught the market’s attention. The biggest headline was the decision to bring in Mike Babcock as head coach, a choice that stands out because of his controversial reputation and his abrupt resignation from the Blue Jackets before he ever coached a game there.
Still, the Oilers appear to be making the kind of bets Connor McDavid wants after another painful spring. Edmonton fell in the first round this postseason and has now lost in the Stanley Cup Final in 2024 and 2025.
The roster work has been just as notable. The Oilers dealt Darnell Nurse and his massive contract to the Sharks, opening up cap space and giving themselves more flexibility.
In return, they landed 24-year-old defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin, who played 50 games for San Jose last season, and used part of the savings to sign Ryan Shea. They’re also looking to shore up the crease by bringing in Fredrik Andersen, who just won the Stanley Cup with the Hurricanes.
Washington’s jump has a different feel. The Capitals spent aggressively, and the goal was obvious: convince Alex Ovechkin to come back for another season.
That mission worked. Ovechkin is returning, and the Capitals also added Alex Tuch, Jordan Kyrou, and Boone Jenner, giving them the look of an Eastern Conference favorite.
Elsewhere on the board, Montreal slid down, a move that may reflect expectations that the Canadiens would be active in free agency. Instead, they extended Ivan Demidov and Jakub Dobes, but have not added anyone to the roster.
Ottawa also took a hit in the market, dropping from +2500 to +3500 after trading captain Brady Tkachuk to Florida. The Senators then brought in William Eklund from the Sharks to fill that spot.
In Other News...
Canadiens Just Added A Young Defenseman Fans Will Want To Track
The Canadiens have quietly added another name to their defensive pipeline, with Kent Hughes signing Konyushkov and keeping the young blueliner on loan in the KHL for another year before he makes the jump to North America. It is the kind of move Montreal has leaned into as it tries to stock the blue line with players who can grow into NHL roles without being rushed, and this one comes with a profile that has already started to draw attention.
Konyushkovs game and offensive touch have drawn comparisons to Alexandre Carrier, which gives Canadiens fans a pretty clear idea of the type of defender Montreal thinks it may be getting down the road. If he develops the way the organization hopes, he could eventually fit into a similar role on the right side of the blue line, giving the team another mobile, puck-moving option to track closely over the next year. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens May Have Already Drawn A Hard Line With Kirby Dach
Peyton Krebs new four-year, $18 million deal in Buffalo has quickly become a useful marker in the Kirby Dach negotiations, and it gives Montreal a pretty clear reference point as the sides head toward arbitration. Krebs had the healthier, fuller season, playing all 82 games with 39 points and a plus-13 rating, while Dachs year was interrupted by injuries and produced 15 points in 37 games with a minus-2 mark.
The Canadiens have already put down a $4 million qualifying offer, and the July 30 arbitration hearing is now looming as the next real checkpoint. For Montreal, the hard part is balancing Dachs upside against what he has actually been able to deliver lately, and the comparable on Krebs suggests the club may not be inclined to budge much from its current line. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Still Feel The Sting Of One 2007 Draft Decision
The Canadiens 2007 draft class still stands as one of the franchises most consequential, and not just because of the names they kept. Montreal came out of that year with Max Pacioretty and P.K. Subban, but the decision that continues to linger is the one that sent Ryan McDonagh away before he ever played a game for the team. It was the kind of move that looked like a roster shuffle at the time and has only grown heavier with hindsight.
McDonagh went on to become a fixture in the NHL, later wearing the captains letter with the Rangers and helping Tampa Bay win two Stanley Cups, while the Canadiens return in the deal never delivered the same kind of stability. Scott Gomez arrived with plenty of pedigree, but his time in Montreal never matched the expectations attached to the trade, and the organization eventually moved on. For a franchise that got so much right in that draft year, this one still reads like the missed branch in the road. [Read more 🡒]