NHL 2023-24 futures: Best bets to win the Stanley Cup

The puck drops in less than a week on the 2023-24 season. We've given out best bets for many major markets, with one glaring exception: the Stanley Cup!

Let's look at a few teams worth backing to lift hockey's holy grail.

Odds via theScore Bet. Teams above +5000 are not listed.

Edmonton Oilers (+900)

Is this the Oilers' year? It just might be! Led by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton should again be one of the league's top offensive teams. The club has plenty of talent around those stars in the top six, and adding Connor Brown should provide a nice boost at both ends of the ice. McDavid's former Erie linemate is a speedy winger who can chip in offensively and kill penalties.

I think Evan Bouchard will be a star and flourish in an expanded role. Getting a full season out of Mattias Ekholm, one of the more underrated two-way defenders in the league, will also make a big difference.

While the Oilers could use more scoring punch in the bottom six, that's certainly something they can address at the deadline. Edmonton has the key pieces needed to contend for the Stanley Cup.

New Jersey Devils (+900)

The Devils are loaded with firepower. Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, and Tyler Toffoli figure to make up one of most dynamic lines in the NHL. Right behind them on the depth chart is a unit featuring two-way stud Nico Hischier - coming off an 80-point season in which he was a Selke finalist - and prolific goal-scorer Timo Meier, fresh off a 40-goal campaign.

New Jersey also has plenty of depth in the bottom six, with Dawson Mercer and Ondrej Palat headlining what should be a strong third line.

Jonas Siegenthaler and Dougie Hamilton form one of the NHL's best defense pairings, and John Marino reliably anchors the other top-four unit.

Throw in the highly talented Luke Hughes - and potentially Simon Nemec - and this defense core has as much skating, skill, and puck-moving ability as any.

There are questions in goal surrounding Vitek Vanecek and Akira Schmid. But it's worth noting that Vanecek ranked 14th in goals saved above expected last season. Also, Schmid managed a .922 save percentage over 18 regular-season games - and we all know what he did in the playoffs against the Rangers. The position isn't exactly a lost cause.

If all else fails, general manager Tom Fitzgerald will have to address the position at the deadline. That shouldn't be difficult since his to-do list will otherwise be short.

Dallas Stars (+1400)

I'm not sure there's a more complete, well-balanced team. The Stars have high-end talent at every position. They have an elite top line. Aided by the free-agent signing of Matt Duchene, they have strong secondary scoring. Dallas is also one of the league's most stable defensive clubs, finishing in the top five in expected goal suppression last season. And it has a workhorse between the pipes in Jake Oettinger.

If the playoffs started tomorrow, the Stars could enter with the roster at hand and not lose one bit of sleep about how well they're equipped at any position. This team checks all the boxes.

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.