There’s been a pattern forming when it comes to championships in the NHL as of late: every other year, the Chicago Blackhawks win.
Well, almost. They won in 2015, they won in 2013, they won in… 2010.
The point is, if you go by basic patterns – not to mention the fact that, even as the salary cap has tried to dismantle the Blackhawks, much of their core remains intact – the Hawks are kind of due.
To that end, Bovada has given them 9/1 odds to win the Stanley Cup this season: the top odds in the NHL, tied with last year’s champions, the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Blackhawks are also favored to win the Western Conference with 9/2 odds, and Bovada likes them to win the ever-tough Central Division, with 3/1 odds.
No matter what changes occur through over the years, one thing doesn’t seem to change at all: you can’t count the Blackhawks out.