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The New York Rangers celebrate after beating the Arizona Coyotes. Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

NHL betting: Does Presidents' Trophy make the Rangers a bad pick to win the Cup?

By Chelena Goldman | Last updated 4/1/24

Whether you are a die-hard NHL follower or more of a fair weather fan, you know how dicey it is to bet on the Presidents' Trophy winner to make a deep playoff run. So if you want to bet on the New York Rangers these days, you're probably a little bit nervous.

The Blueshirts, who ended March on a five game winning streak, lead the league with 104 points and are the -190 favorites at DraftKings to win the Presidents' Trophy. This would naturally tempt anyone to then put money on the Rangers at favorable 4-1 odds to win the Eastern Conference or even at 9-1 to win the Stanley Cup.

That is, until you remember that it has been over a decade since a Presidents' Trophy winner has then won Lord Stanley's Mug in a single year.

Should New York's chances of winning the Presidents' Trophy give you pause when betting on this year's Stanley Cup winner?

#NYR wake up on Easter Sunday with 1-point lead for the Presidents’ Trophy and 3-point lead for No. 1 seed in the East (and Metro).

They’re 7-1 in their last 8 while averaging 5 goals per game. NHL-best 20-4-1 since all-star break.

Currently lined up to play PHI in first round. pic.twitter.com/DTdNRyPZnm
— Vince Z. Mercogliano (@vzmercogliano) March 31, 2024

It's easy to see why anyone would want to bet on the Rangers to go the distance even if they win the Presidents' Trophy. They have been on the right side of so many games thanks to depth scoring and reliable defense. (Having a Vezina hopeful in Igor Shesterkin and a record-setter in Jonathan Quick in goal doesn't hurt, either.) They are also mostly healthy heading into the final weeks of the regular season, which can help any team make a deeper playoff run.

If you know about the curse of the Presidents' Trophy, however, you know all of these positives could ultimately fail the Rangers.

Only eight teams in the history of the league have won the Presidents' Trophy and gone on to win the Stanley Cup, and the 2012-13 Chicago Blackhawks were the last team to do it. More often than not, the team awarded for ending the season with the most points doesn't get that far. Just ask the Boston Bruins, who have won the coveted and controversial award three times in the last decade and not made it past the second round. That includes winning it in 2023 only to become the seventh team since 2000 to win the Presidents' Trophy and then get the boot in the first round of the playoffs.

New York's own history with the Presidents' Trophy is a mixed bag. They won the Stanley Cup after having the most regular-season points in 1994, but lost in the Conference Finals to the Tampa Bay Lightning when they won the Presidents' Trophy in 2015.

That's all before we look at New York's recent playoff history. Since that Presidents' Trophy since in 2015, the Rangers made the playoffs five times in eight years but haven't made it past the Eastern Conference Final. That includes 2022 when they went 52-24-6 on the regular season and then were booted after two rounds, once again by the Lightning.

Jonathan Quick, the winningest American-born goaltender in NHL history.
⁰Congrats, Quickie! pic.twitter.com/TdepbM6RIf
— x - New York Rangers (@NYRangers) March 31, 2024

The New York Rangers are on the cusp of winning the Presidents' Trophy, and at 9-1 odds look like a safe bet to win the Stanley Cup. But if recent history has taught us anything, ending the regular season with the most points doesn't guarantee a trip to the Stanley Cup Final — let alone a championship.

Wager at your own risk. The curse could be alive and well.

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