NHL Announces Return to Play: Current Stanley Cup Odds

• The NHL has announced a full extensive plan to return to play this season, following the coronavirus shutdown.
• 24 of the 31 teams will return to play in an extended playoff format.
• The Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche, and Tampa Bay Lightning have the shortest odds to win the Stanley Cup at +650

LAS VEGAS – The much-rumored return of the NHL has now been confirmed, and the season will continue into an adjusted playoff format. The playoff format will be unlike the league or sports world has ever seen before.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman officially announced the return of hockey to the world on Tuesday, and how the season will play out.

Though the format will be changing, the odds to win the Stanley Cup have stayed relatively the same.

Only 24 of the NHL’s 31 teams will return to play, including the top 12 teams in each conference as according to the league standings when play was postponed in March.

The remaining seven teams will not return to play and are immediately placed in the NHL draft lottery.

How The 2020 NHL Season Will Play Out

The top four clubs in the Eastern and Western Conference will compete in two mini round-robin tournaments to determine top seeding for the playoffs.

The remaining eight teams in each conference will play best-of-five “play in” series to determine the 16 teams that will make up the traditional playoff format.

From there, the playoff format will attempt to commence as normal, with either best-of-five or best-of-seven series in the first two rounds.

This plan was instituted after the league announced last Friday that it had begun official discussion of a 24-team playoff format.

Controversy has already begun as to whether this season will be considered legitimate in the historical records of hockey. However, most sports fans and legal sports betting enthusiasts will not bat an eye at the return.

News tags: hockey | NH Playoffs | NHL