Will Canadian Crowd Restrictions Affect the Stanley Cup Chances of Their Teams?

We are currently in strange times regarding the NHL and crowd numbers. Teams in the USA are able to carry on as normal, with no rules in place, while limitations have been placed on the teams in Canada. 

This has led to Canadian teams choosing to postpone games, rather than play behind closed doors, and in some cases, flip the games around, so they are playing away in the USA, rather than at home. The issue is big, with the latest sports news following what is happening in the NHL on each side of the border.

But how will this affect things moving forward? There are two possible ways that it does, the first is with fixture congestion, the second is if the teams have to go back to playing behind closed doors, how will that affect games. 

Canadian teams will be the only ones affected by this, others may miss the odd game or two, but no one will miss games like the Canadian teams. Of those who could win the Stanley Cup, according to the odds, the Toronto Maple Leafs have the best chance, while the Edmonton Oilers and Winnipeg Jets are the other two who could stake a claim but will have to improve. Odds from bookmakers back that up, with the Leafs amongst the favourites to win the cup, while Edmonton and Winnipeg are both with the outsiders. 

Others from Canada, Ottawa, Montreal, Calgary and Vancouver, are priced up as though they have little or no chance at all. Betting on the NHL is incredibly popular, and on top of that, there are many ways to pick up a promotion, including using the best free bet offers that are currently available for new customers to enjoy. 

Can a Canadian Team Win the Stanley Cup?

In terms of chances of winning, the Toronto Maple Leafs are the one team to talk about. They do have the ability to contend for the Stanley Cup and have seemingly improved an area where they have struggled in the past.

In attack, Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner lead a top heavy forward group, but one that can be relied to get the job done. Defensively they have struggled in the past, but netminder Jack Campbell has taken everything in his stride, with some believing him to be the best in the league, and the Leafs look a much better team with him behind them. 

As the old saying goes, defence wins championships, and the Leafs have never really had that. They do this year, and for that reason, they have to be considered as potential Stanley Cup contenders, even if they won’t go all the way. 

However, this my not be plain sailing for them, given the likelihood of fixture congestion before the playoffs begin, and the possibility of them not having a full capacity crowd in attendance for their biggest games. 

Given that, it may be best to hold off on the Leafs for now, but if the situation clears, and they are able to resume some kind of normality, don’t be surprised to see them go on a long playoff run, and really contend this season.