Penguins 20-1 Long Shot to Win Cup, Crosby, Malkin MVP Odds

Gone are the days when the Pittsburgh Penguins were favorites to win the Stanley Cup. Even last season, they began as 12-1 favorites and among the second tier of teams as latent money trickled their way.

No longer.

The Pittsburgh Penguins have now slipped to the middle of the pack, according to DraftKings Sportsbook. The San Jose Sharks are 19-1 and the Carolina Hurricanes are 21-1. For the record, you couldn’t get me to touch the Carolina bet if you promised us an armored truck full of cash to wager.

The Penguins fizzled out last season and were swept in Round One of the NHL playoffs. This offseason they traded Phil Kessel and Olli Maatta to acquire Alex Galchenyuk, PO Joseph and Dominik Kahun. The Penguins also signed free agent Brandon Tanev.

Based on Penguins line combos in the preseason, it appears Galchenyuk will play with Malkin and Tanev could get time with Crosby. However, head coach Mike Sullivan has cautioned against reading too much into the preseason looks, as they are exploratory.

If you’re not bullish on the Penguins chances this season, they are almost a 2-1 bet to miss the playoffs, too.

Sidney Crosby was a Hart Trophy finalist last season. DraftKings Sportsbook installed Crosby as an 11-1 shot to win the Hart, but they’re even less bullish on Evgeni Malkin, who is a 20-1 bet.

If you believe Crosby and Jake Guentzel are going to have another big year, the book also posted odds for the Art Ross Trophy. Crosby is one of the favorites for that trophy, as well.