by Vegas Writer
Tuesday, Apr 28, 2026With the No. 1 overall seeded Colorado Avalanche and Eastern Conference champion Carolina Hurricanes resting for their second-round opponents, it's crystal clear to me which team is the right value to win the Stanley Cup at this point.
We all know the Presidents' Trophy winner hasn't won the Stanley Cup since the 2012-13 Chicago Blackhawks skated around with the most coveted trophy in professional sports. Thus, that rules out the Avalanche, who I am not convinced will make it to the Western Conference Final.
The Hurricanes, for me, are the better bet at +285 (DraftKings). If this were a craps game and I could bet the don't, I would put that on the Avs. But I certainly would throw for the Hurricanes on Pass Line.
Here are three reasons I like the Hurricanes to win the Cup right now:
GOALTENDING - They say you want to have the hot goaltender when you enter the postseason, and there has been nobody better than Frederik Andersen, who led the 'Canes to a 4-0 sweep in the opening round, behind a goals-against average of 1.10 and save percentage of .955. It's a shock to say the least, as he endured a rugged regular season, the worst of his career, but has turned it around in time. Most notably, he's saved 7.73 goals above expected in just four games - an insane number - as he's made great reactive saves, especially on unexpected bounces in front of the net.
CONSISTENCY - Since Jan. 16, the Hurricanes closed the regular season on a 25-7-3 run and outscored their opponents by a +40 goal differential. Their 2.74 goals-against average ranked seventh in the NHL, while their 3.91 goals-for per game was the second-highest behind the Pittsburgh Penguins. In their four-game sweep over Ottawa, the 'Canes outscored the Senators, 11-5, an average final of 2.8 to 1.3. The latter number ties back to Andersen. They also outshot the Sens by 6.3 shots per game.
X-FACTOR - While it's easy to put the onus on star Sebastian Aho as the catalyst for this team, or to find another player who has contributed, like Taylor Hall and his seven points (2 goals, 5 assists) after four games, but I like the East having to come through Carolina, which registered a 29-10-2 record at home during the regular season, tied for the most home wins in the NHL with Boston, while ranking first in home point percentage (.732). The Hurricanes ranked first in goals per game (3.88) at home and first in goals scored (159) at home this season. Even further, with Rod Brind’Amour behind the bench (since 2018), Carolina ranks second in wins at home (207) and second in home point percentage (.715).
We all know the Presidents' Trophy winner hasn't won the Stanley Cup since the 2012-13 Chicago Blackhawks skated around with the most coveted trophy in professional sports. Thus, that rules out the Avalanche, who I am not convinced will make it to the Western Conference Final.
The Hurricanes, for me, are the better bet at +285 (DraftKings). If this were a craps game and I could bet the don't, I would put that on the Avs. But I certainly would throw for the Hurricanes on Pass Line.
Here are three reasons I like the Hurricanes to win the Cup right now:
GOALTENDING - They say you want to have the hot goaltender when you enter the postseason, and there has been nobody better than Frederik Andersen, who led the 'Canes to a 4-0 sweep in the opening round, behind a goals-against average of 1.10 and save percentage of .955. It's a shock to say the least, as he endured a rugged regular season, the worst of his career, but has turned it around in time. Most notably, he's saved 7.73 goals above expected in just four games - an insane number - as he's made great reactive saves, especially on unexpected bounces in front of the net.
CONSISTENCY - Since Jan. 16, the Hurricanes closed the regular season on a 25-7-3 run and outscored their opponents by a +40 goal differential. Their 2.74 goals-against average ranked seventh in the NHL, while their 3.91 goals-for per game was the second-highest behind the Pittsburgh Penguins. In their four-game sweep over Ottawa, the 'Canes outscored the Senators, 11-5, an average final of 2.8 to 1.3. The latter number ties back to Andersen. They also outshot the Sens by 6.3 shots per game.
X-FACTOR - While it's easy to put the onus on star Sebastian Aho as the catalyst for this team, or to find another player who has contributed, like Taylor Hall and his seven points (2 goals, 5 assists) after four games, but I like the East having to come through Carolina, which registered a 29-10-2 record at home during the regular season, tied for the most home wins in the NHL with Boston, while ranking first in home point percentage (.732). The Hurricanes ranked first in goals per game (3.88) at home and first in goals scored (159) at home this season. Even further, with Rod Brind’Amour behind the bench (since 2018), Carolina ranks second in wins at home (207) and second in home point percentage (.715).
