Blackhawks the early Stanley Cup favorite for 2016

The Chicago Blackhawks officially became a dynasty by winning their third Stanley Cup in six seasons on Monday night, defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-0 in front of a frenzied home crowd. It was the first time since 1938 the Blackhawks won a Stanley Cup at home, and it set off wild celebrations at the United Center and across the city.

Dennis Wierzbicki/USA TODAY Sports

But with this season now over, we can look ahead to next year, and the odds for the 2016 Stanley Cup champion have already been released. To the surprise of nobody, Chicago is the favorite to win it all next year, holding 7/1 odds to repeat and earn a third Stanley Cup in four years.

It certainly won’t be easy for the Blackhawks, because as good as they are, repeating in hockey is extremely difficult. It’s a testament to their excellence that they’ve won two out of three, and they came relatively close to three-peating.

There will likely be some roster changes thanks to a salary cap crunch. New deals for stars Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews will kick in, which means salary will have to be trimmed elsewhere. That could mean some trades, and Patrick Sharp’s name has been one bandied about as a possible cap casualty.

While it would stink to lose a core guy like Sharp, Chicago will be just fine as long as guys like Kane, Toews, Conn Smythe winner Duncan Keith and Marian Hossa are around. There’s also some serious young talent on the roster in the form of Brandon Saad and Teuvo Teravainen. Throw in a solid goaltender in Corey Crawford and an ability to fill in pieces on the edges, and the Blackhawks should remain in Stanley Cup contention for years to come.

Right behind Chicago in odds isn’t Tampa Bay, but the team the Lightning beat to get to the Stanley Cup Final, the New York Rangers. The Rangers come in with 8/1 odds, while the squad the Blackhawks beat to get to the title round, the Anaheim Ducks, have 10/1 odds. Next come the Lightning and St. Louis Blues at 12/1.

Here’s the full list of odds for next year’s Stanley Cup.

Chicago Blackhawks                       7/1

New York Rangers                           8/1

Anaheim Ducks                                10/1

St. Louis Blues                                   12/1

Tampa Bay Lightning                      12/1

Los Angeles Kings                            14/1

Minnesota Wild                               14/1

Montreal Canadiens                       14/1

Pittsburgh Penguins                       14/1

Boston Bruins                                    16/1

Nashville Predators                        16/1

Washington Capitals                      18/1

New York Islanders                         22/1

Winnipeg Jets                                   25/1

Columbus Blue Jackets                 33/1

Detroit Red Wings                           33/1

Edmonton Oilers                             33/1

Calgary Flames                                 40/1

San Jose Sharks                                40/1

Vancouver Canucks                        40/1

Ottawa Senators                              50/1

Colorado Avalanche                       66/1

Dallas Stars                                         66/1

New Jersey Devils                           66/1

Philadelphia Flyers                         66/1

Toronto Maple Leafs                      66/1

Florida Panthers                              75/1

Buffalo Sabres                                  100/1

Carolina Hurricanes                        100/1

Arizona Coyotes                               100/1