Do Capitals have shot at winning another Cup?
The Washington Capitals claimed their first Stanley Cup trophy in franchise history in June as it downed the expansion Las Vegas Golden Knights in the Stanley Cup Finals. Does Washington have what it takes to become a back-to-back champion?
Capitals’ odds to win again
According to oddsmakers, Washington has 10/1 odds to win the Stanley Cup for a second consecutive year. Only two teams – the Tampa Bay Lightning (7/1) and Toronto Maple Leafs (9/1) – have better odds to win the title. Two other squads have equal 10/1 odds – the Boston Bruins and Nashville Predators. A full list of odds can be found at our NHL Future Odds Page.
Ovechkin still hungry
Washington superstar forward Alexander Ovechkin doesn’t seem to be the type of player who will rest on his laurels after winning his first-ever championship after so many postseason heartbreaks. It was well-documented that Ovechkin enjoyed the title to extreme measures, but the veteran knows how to prepare himself and after tasting the top prize last year he will certainly do his part to try and make it happen again for the Caps. Ovechkin totaled 49 goals and 38 assists during the 2017-18 regular season. He then prceeded to total 15 goals and 12 assists in 24 postseason contests.
Holtby top goalie again?
Washington goalie Braden Holtby had lost his No. 1 spot heading into the playoffs, but after fellow goalie Philipp Grubauer faltered in two losses to Columbus to begin the postseason Holtby was reinserted as the starter. He was outstanding much of the rest of the way, finishing with a 2.16 goals-against average and .922 save percentage. He went 16-7 to play a significant role in guiding the Caps to the Cup.
Prediction:
There still aren’t too many teams better than Washington, but with parity the way it is I can’t see Washington repeating. It should have one of the best offenses in the NHL, but I still am wary about how it fares on the defensive end. Holtby had a heck of a hot stretch, but he has been an average goalie much of his career and will likely fall back to form. There isn’t a reason to argue strongly against putting a futures bet on the Capitals, but I’ll likely be putting my money elsewhere.