The NHL's 2021-2022 season begins with a doubleheader featuring the defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning hosting the Pittsburgh Penguins, followed by the Vegas Golden Knights welcoming the expansion Seattle Kraken.

Cup Favorites (+475 to +900):

• Colorado Avalanche (+475)
• Vegas Golden Knights (+700)
• Tampa Bay Lightning (+700)
• Toronto Maple Leafs (+900)

Best Value: Tampa Bay Lightning (+700) The two-time defending champions feature elite talent across the roster, including:

• Andrei Vasilevskiy (top goaltender)
• Victor Hedman (elite defenseman)
• Scoring depth with Stamkos, Kucherov, and Point

Cup Contenders (+1300 to +2500):

• Boston Bruins (+1300)
• New York Islanders (+1500)
• Florida Panthers (+1800)
• Edmonton Oilers (+2000)
• New York Rangers (+2200)
• Pittsburgh Penguins (+2500)
• Minnesota Wild (+2500)
• Carolina Hurricanes (+2500)

Best Value: Florida Panthers (+1800) Added scorer Sam Reinhart and feature:

• Healthy Aaron Ekblad
• Strong goalie tandem (Bobrovsky/Knight)
• Win-now mentality with 10 pending free agents

Cup Hopefuls (+3000 to +4500):

• Washington Capitals (+3000)
• Dallas Stars (+3500)
• Seattle Kraken (+4000)
• Philadelphia Flyers (+4000)
• Winnipeg Jets (+4500)
• Chicago Blackhawks (+4500)
• Calgary Flames (+4500)

Best Value: Seattle Kraken (+4000)

• Analytics-focused roster construction
• Key free agent additions (Schwartz, Grubauer, Wennberg)
• Strong defensive pipeline

Longshots (+5000 to +20000):

• Blues, Devils, Canadiens, Canucks (+5000-6000)
• Sharks, Predators, Kings (+10000)
• Red Wings (+15000)
• Senators, Blue Jackets, Sabres, Coyotes, Ducks (+20000)

Best Value: New Jersey Devils (+5000) Young talent (Hughes, Hischier) plus key additions (Hamilton, Graves) make them an intriguing playoff dark horse.

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