The 3 best NHL long shot Stanley Cup bets

The NHL is back and it's time to find the right long shot team for 2022-23. The favourites have rolled in recent years, with the Colorado Avalanche and Tampa Bay Lightning combining for each of the last three Stanley Cup championships.

Pittsburgh Penguins have failed to advance beyond the first round in four consecutive years. Sidney Crosby is one of the game's best forwards. Tristan Jarry is a solid goalkeeper. Pittsburgh got better defensively by replacing John Marino and Mike Matheson with Jeff Petry, Jan Rutta, and Ty Smith. The team is +2,100. They are a dark horse candidate to win the East and the Cup.

Blues are a long shot to win the Stanley Cup. They pushed the eventual champion Avalanche to six games in the last season's playoffs. Ryan O'Reilly, Brayden Schenn and Vladimir Tarasenko form a solid forward line. Jordan Kyrou and Robert Thomas enjoyed breakout seasons. The defence is weak but should benefit from Nick Leddy's return.

Islanders finished the last season with 37-35-10 record. The roster is virtually identical and the team has the same quality goalkeepers as last year. Lane Lambert will replace Barry Trotz as the head coach. The team will play at its new home, UBS Arena. It will have less hectic scheduling in 2022-23.