The New York Islanders must be wondering what they must achieve in order to garner a little bit of respect from the bookmakers. They’ve been to the Stanley Cup Eastern Conference final each of the past two seasons. Both times, they were eliminated by the eventual Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning.
Yet when it comes to chances of winning the 2021-22 Stanley Cup, five NHL teams are being given shorter odds than the Islanders (+2000) and three others are on par with the Isles.
The New York Rangers aren’t among them but for a team that missed the playoffs last season, they aren’t far off. BetMGM puts the Stanley Cup odds on the Broadway Blueshirts at +2500, according to Bet New York.
There’s a number of unique Stanley Cup props currently being offered at BetMGM. Let’s have a look at them and how they relate to New York City’s two NHL franchises.
Original Six Prop
Rangers fans can back their favorite team to win the title and get five others included in the same bet. BetMGM is offering an Original Six Stanley Cup prop. At odds of +360, along with the Rangers, bettors will also get the Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs on the same betting slip.
Chicago won the Cup in 2015. Boston played in the 2019 final and Montreal in the 2021 final. The Rangers were most recently in the Cup final series in 2014. Detroit was there in 2009 but Toronto’s drought extends back to 1967.
Jagr Prop
It only seems like Jaromir Jagr played for every NHL team during his never-ending career. But the ageless wonder – still playing for Kladno of the Czech Extraliga at age 49 – only played for nine NHL teams.
One of them was the Rangers, but all of them – the Bruins, Florida Panthers, Washington Capitals, Pittsburgh Penguins, Calgary Flames, Dallas Stars, New Jersey Devils and Philadelphia Flyers are the other teams – are included in a Jagr teams Stanley Cup prop wager at odds of +220.
If any of those nine teams win the Cup, the lucky bettor who made this play will also be a winner.
State Prop
New York is listed as the second betting choice in a prop asking which U.S. state or Canadian province will produce the 2021-22 Stanley Cup winner. New York state is at odds of +1000. Bettors will get the Islanders, Rangers and even the Buffalo Sabres for that price.
Florida, at +500, is the state with the shortest odds of producing this season’s Cup winner.
Era Prop
Another unique Stanley Cup wager being offered by BetMGM is their Era Prop. With this wager, each NHL team is assigned odds amidst the group of teams that won their most recent Stanley Cup in the same decade.
For the Rangers (1993-94) that’s the 1990s. At odds of +650, bettors will also get the last two losing teams in the Stanley Cup final (Montreal Canadiens, Dallas Stars) as well as the Edmonton Oilers.
The Islanders (1982-83) end up in the 1980s era. There’s just one other team included in that package, the Calgary Flames. Odds on this wager are +1200.
Individual Awards
Islanders goalie Semyon Varlamov is the co-third betting choice to win the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top goaltender at odds of +1000. Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin can be had for a betting line of +2000.
Rangers forward Artemi Panarin was a Hart Trophy finalist as recently as 2020. Yet his odds to win the NHL’s MVP Award this season are at +1200. Islanders forward Mathew Barzal is offered at +1800.
Reigning Norris Trophy winner Adam Fox of the Rangers is the second betting choice to retain the award as the NHL’s best defenseman. He’s at a betting line of +600. Colorado’s Cale Makar is the +400 favorite. Islanders defenseman Ryan Pulock is at opening odds of +2000.