The Sabres feel they are Stanley Cup contenders. The oddsmakers don't even have them in the top one-third of the league.
My usual contacts over at Bodog.com have sent me the preseason odds for the NHL, and the Sabres are 18-to-1 to win the Cup. That's the 11th-best odds in the 30-team league.
Here are all the odds, with the usual disclaimer: Gambling is bad. Your money is much better spent on concerts, women and whiskey. (And with the Foo Fighters in town this weekend, you can blow your cash on all three Sunday.)
Odds to win the 2012 Stanley Cup
Vancouver Canucks 7/1
Washington Capitals 7/1
Boston Bruins 10/1
Pittsburgh Penguins 10/1
Philadelphia Flyers 11/1
San Jose Sharks 11/1
Chicago Blackhawks 12/1
Detroit Red Wings 12/1
Los Angeles Kings 14/1
Tampa Bay Lightning 16/1
Buffalo Sabres 18/1
Anaheim Ducks 25/1
Montreal Canadiens 25/1
Nashville Predators 28/1
New Jersey Devils 30/1
New York Rangers 30/1
Phoenix Coyotes 35/1
St. Louis Blues 35/1
Calgary Flames 40/1
Dallas Stars 40/1
Carolina Hurricanes 45/1
Toronto Maple Leafs 50/1
Winnipeg Jets 60/1
Colorado Avalanche 65/1
Edmonton Oilers 65/1
Ottawa Senators 70/1
Columbus Blue Jackets 75/1
Florida Panthers 75/1
Minnesota Wild 75/1
New York Islanders 80/1
Odds to win the 2012 NHL Eastern Conference
Washington Capitals 4/1
Pittsburgh Penguins 9/2
Philadelphia Flyers 5/1
Boston Bruins 11/2
Tampa Bay Lightning 8/1
Buffalo Sabres 10/1
Montreal Canadiens 14/1
New Jersey Devils 15/1
New York Rangers 16/1
Carolina Hurricanes 24/1
Toronto Maple Leafs 28/1
Winnipeg Jets 35/1
Florida Panthers 40/1
Ottawa Senators 40/1
New York Islanders 45/1
Odds to win the 2012 NHL Western Conference
Vancouver Canucks 3/1
Detroit Red Wings 11/2
San Jose Sharks 11/2
Los Angeles Kings 6/1
Chicago Blackhawks 13/2
Anaheim Ducks 12/1
Nashville Predators 14/1
Phoenix Coyotes 18/1
Calgary Flames 20/1
Dallas Stars 20/1
St. Louis Blues 20/1
Colorado Avalanche 35/1
Columbus Blue Jackets 35/1
Edmonton Oilers 35/1
Minnesota Wild 35/1
---John Vogl
