There are two sides to hockey. The first is sleek, with skaters using speed and dexterity to move the puck and find a lane to shoot. The other side of hockey is tough. It’s imposing defensemen and forwards looking to check puckhandlers into the boards or disrupt their ability to shoot or pass. Toughness can lead to fighting, and while hockey doesn’t score its fights, those altercations can turn the momentum of a contest.
With the NHL regular season wrapping up in just a couple of weeks, BetCanada.com wanted to identify the league’s toughest teams as part of our Canada sports betting analysis. Here are the top 10, followed by an explanation of our methodology.
Rank | Team | Average Rank |
1 | Montreal Canadiens | 7.6 |
2 | Boston Bruins | 8.0 |
T3 | Calgary Flames | 8.4 |
T3 | Philadelphia Flyers | 8.4 |
5 | New York Rangers | 11.6 |
6 | Anaheim Ducks | 12.2 |
7 | Toronto Maple Leafs | 12.8 |
8 | Columbus Blue Jackets | 13.4 |
9 | Seattle Kraken | 14.0 |
10 | Nashville Predators | 14.2 |
We ranked each team based on the following stats, through games played on March 24. Each team earned points depending on where they rank (most to least) in the 32-team league for NHL betting:
Every team had rankings in all five categories; then we ranked each team based on their average finish in each category with the lowest average deemed toughest based on our metrics.
What’s interesting about this list is that eight of the so-called tough teams are currently out of playoff positions. That might be an indication of teams having to play through injuries that have sidelined key players.
For example, Montreal Canadiens wing Patrik Laine missed the team’s first 24 games of the season after suffering a knee injury during a preseason game. Laine, whom the Habs acquired in the offseason from the Columbus Blue Jackets, has played in just 39 of the team’s 69 games. Despite that, he ranks third in goals with 17 and Montreal has been one of the biggest surprises this season (see Montreal Canadiens betting odds). Coach Martin St. Louis’ team has 75 points and holds the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot with 13 games remaining.
Still, a tough team can struggle to keep pace in a sport that’s relying more on speed than force. If you want to see which teams are considered the favorites to win the 2025 Stanley Cup, then take a gander at the bottom five teams on the list and check out our page comparing Stanley Cup odds with various operators:
Rank | Team | Average Rank |
28 | Chicago Blackhawks | 21.0 |
29 | Edmonton Oilers | 22.6 |
30 | Carolina Hurricanes | 22.8 |
31 | Colorado Avalanche | 23.8 |
32 | Dallas Stars | 27.4 |
Outside of the Blackhawks, who have the NHL’s second-worst record as they try to build around phenom Connor Bedard, the other four teams in the basement of this list are among the top five favorites on the Stanley Cup futures board at Pinnacle Canadian Sportsbook.
The favorite is the Dallas Stars (+606), who fell to the Edmonton Oilers (+808) in last year’s Western Conference final. Edmonton and the Colorado Avalanche have the same odds, making them the co-third choice on the board, and the Carolina Hurricanes (+896) are the fifth-best team according to Pinnacle oddsmakers,
The reigning champion Florida Panthers (+631) are the second choice at Canadian sportsbook apps. They were tied for 11th on our list alongside the Washington Capitals, who lead the Metropolitan Division and Eastern Conference this season.
One thing to note, these teams at the bottom of the list might need to find some toughness to win the Cup. A team that has been relatively healthy could need to win a series without its top goaltender or scorer. A team that has dominated opponents might have to dig deep to overcome third-period deficits. A team relying on skill might need to bring up an enforcer to protect top players.
Four of Canada’s seven NHL teams appear on the lists above. Here’s where the remaining three rank in our toughness ratings.
Ottawa Senators (Tied for 13th) – Ottawa Senators betting odds are trending upward as the team holds the Eastern Conference’s top wild-card spot. The young Sens, who have not made the playoffs since 2017, have enjoyed good health this season with their top skaters. Tim Stutzle (70 points) and Drake Batherson (56) have played every game and Brady Tkachuk, who leads Ottawa with 29 goals, has missed two. Jake Sanderson (48 points), Ottawa’s top defencemen, has missed just one.
Winnipeg Jets (Tied for 16th) – In an interesting coincidence, the Jets, who have the West’s top record, are tied in the middle of the rankings with the Buffalo Sabres, who are last in the East. Winnipeg has 21 comeback victories, good for second behind the Capitals’ 23 and something to note for Winnipeg Jets betting odds. However, only four of those rallies came in the third period. Only six teams have fewer late rallies in the NHL.
Vancouver Canucks (24th) – Only Florida, with 2,055 hits, has registered more this season than Vancouver’s 1,930. However, the Canucks have just three wins this season where they have overcome a third-period deficit. Two of those have taken place in the last two weeks and both needed a shootout. Vancouver earned 4-3 win at Calgary on March 12, and beat the New Jersey Devils by the same score on the road on March 24.
The above three teams all seek their first NHL championship. See our odds on a first-time Canadian Stanley Cup winner for more details.
USA Today photo by Eric Bolte
Author
Steve is an accomplished, award-winning reporter with more than 20 years of experience covering gaming, sports, politics and business. He has written for the Associated Press, Reuters, The Louisville Courier Journal, The Center Square and numerous other publications. Based in Louisville, Ky., Steve has covered the expansion of sports betting in the U.S. and other gaming matters. He shares his expertise on BetCanada, among other sites.
