The 2024-2025 NHL season is set to be wide open, with several teams that could come away with the title and earn a trip to the Stanley Cup Final. With the winner of the West falling short in the Stanley Cup Final in 2024, the winner of the West this year will hope for better results against the winner of the East. Here, we look at the race to win the Western Conference and handicap the group of favorites and dark horses to win the conference.
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Western Conference Futures Betting Odds
| Team | Western Conference Championship Odds |
| Edmonton Oilers | +300 |
| Dallas Stars | +400 |
| Vegas Golden Knights | +650 |
| Colorado Avalanche | +700 |
| Winnipeg Jets | +700 |
| Los Angeles Kings | +800 |
| Minnesota Wild | +1200 |
| Vancouver Canucks | +3000 |
| Utah Hockey Club | +5000 |
| Nashville Predators | +6000 |
| St. Louis Blues | +7500 |
| Calgary Flames | +7500 |
| Seattle Kraken | +10000 |
| Chicago Blackhawks | +20000 |
| Anaheim Ducks | +25000 |
| San Jose Sharks | +50000 |
NHL Western Conference Championship Favorites
Edmonton Oilers
In the 2023-24 NHL season, the Edmonton Oilers won the right to represent the West in the Stanley Cup Final. Edmonton got off to a terrible start last season, firing their coach early in the year and having to rebuild on the fly. But they managed to do just that, as their explosive attacking ability helped them to overcome that early season adversity.
This season, the Oilers are the favorites to win the West once again. But there are questions about whether this group can continue doing what they did during their run to the NHL Western Conference title the last time we saw them in the postseason. So far, the Oilers appear to be answering their critics, as they are in the race to finish at the top of the Pacific Division. They will need to continue to play at a high level to silence their doubters in the playoffs.
Dallas Stars
The Dallas Stars finished last season with the highest point total in the Western Conference during the regular season. But they lost in the Western Conference Final to the Edmonton Oilers in six games. Dallas was one of the more offensively gifted teams in the Western Conference this past season, finishing second to the Colorado Avalanche in goals scored among teams from the West.
This season, the Stars are trailing the Winnipeg Jets in the Central Division standings. But oddsmakers have more faith in the Stars to win the West than they do the Jets at this point in time. It will be interesting to see if the Stars can catch up to the Jets to earn home ice advantage throughout the Central Division playoffs to give them a better shot at earning their way to the Western Conference Final.
Vegas Golden Knights
Las Vegas is no stranger to playoff success in the brief history of their franchise. They are on the short list of Western Conference favorites in the NHL this year, as they are in the mix to finish with the best record in the Pacific Division. Vegas has been crushing their competition at home this year. But they have been mediocre on the road and that could cost them as they look to get back to the Stanley Cup Final.
Other Western Conference Title Contenders
Along with the three favorites mentioned above, there are a few other teams with a genuine shot to win the West in the NHL in 2025. The Winnipeg Jets, Colorado Avalanche, and Los Angeles Kings are all viable options to win the conference according to oddsmakers. The Jets are especially interesting, as they got off to a historically great start but are still not at the top of the list of conference title favorites, as they will look to prove everyone wrong as the season progresses.
