Who has best chance at winning Stanley Cup?
The Florida Panthers are the epitome of two Stanley Cup playoff adages: Top teams don’t always win, and if you can get into the NHL postseason, anything can happen.
Two seasons ago the Presidents’ Trophy winners (top regular-season team) were knocked out in the second round.
Last year the Panthers were the last team to clinch a playoff berth. The second wild-card seed then upset the league’s top team, the record-setting Boston Bruins, and then the Toronto Maple Leafs and Carolina Hurricanes before losing to the Vegas Golden Knights in the Stanley Cup Final.
This season’s playoff picture is becoming clearer. Knowing that the postseason is always unpredictable, here are power rankings based on a team’s chance of winning the Stanley Cup:
1. Colorado Avalanche
Nathan MacKinnon is having an MVP-caliber season, Mikko Rantanen is heading toward another 100-point season and defenseman Cale Makar should be a Norris Trophy finalist. The Avalanche upgraded at center and boosted their physical play at the trade deadline.
2. Carolina Hurricanes
The Hurricanes reached the conference final last season without injured Andrei Svechnikov. He’s healthy and Carolina added proven playoff scorers Jake Guentzel and Evgeny Kuznetsov. Their defense corps is solid, as is coach Rod Brind’Amour’s system. They need goalie Frederik Andersen to stay healthy. He started off 7-0 since returning from treatment for blood clots.
3. New York Rangers
Forward Artemi Panarin is having a career year and there’s firepower on the top two lines. They plugged gaps at the trade deadline. Goalie Igor Shesterkin’s numbers are down, but he was strong in Thursday’s win versus Colorado.
4. Florida Panthers
They know what it takes to get back to the Final. You can’t argue with a team that has physical scorer Matthew Tkachuk,
two-way center Aleksander Barkov, 50-goal scorer Sam Reinhart and goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, who can get hot and go on a run.
5. Edmonton Oilers
The early-season coaching change to Kris Knoblauch has made a big difference. They won 16 in a row before the AllStar break, so they certainly could win 16 times over four rounds. Connor McDavid is surging and could end up winning the scoring race. They added scoring depth with Adam Henrique and grit with Corey Perry. Goalie Stuart Skinner has a year of playoff experience.
6. Dallas Stars
Scoring throughout their lineup and their defense chips in, too. But goalie Jake Oettinger will need to improve on his numbers for the team to make a run.
7. Nashville Predators
Could they be this year’s Panthers? They had an 18-game point streak after the then-struggling team canceled plans for players to attend a U2 concert. Filip Forsberg and Roman Josi are leading the way, and Ryan O’Reilly is a former playoff MVP. Two games ago, the Predators overcame a 4-2 third-period deficit to down the Golden Knights before their streak ended with an 8-4 loss to the Arizona Coyotes.
8. Boston Bruins
Four of the last five Presidents’ Trophy winners have gone to the Stanley Cup Final – the next season. The Bruins have the ability to get that far. All-Star goalie Jeremy Swayman can carry a team, and there’s enough offense with David Pastrnak and company. Their trade deadline was underwhelming compared to last year, but currently injured Pat Maroon is a rugged three-time Stanley Cup winner. That low-key approach might be what’s needed after last season’s big moves didn’t get them out of the first round.
9. Vegas Golden Knights
They were the most aggressive team at the trade deadline, but they’re dealing with injuries, including to captain Mark Stone and goalie Adin Hill, and newly acquired Tomas Hertl has yet to suit up. Even with the injuries, Jack Eichel, Jonathan Marchessault and others will aid their title defense. This team’s big defense is built for another playoff run. Noah Hanifin was a smart addition.
10. Tampa Bay Lightning
Nikita Kucherov could lead the league in scoring, they have tons of playoff experience and Andrei Vasilevskiy is looking better the further removed he is from back surgery. Anthony Duclair has been a productive deadline pickup.
11. Vancouver Canucks
Backup Casey DeSmith has played well in Thatcher Demko’s absence, but the Canucks need their No. 1 goalie to make a run. He’s expected to return before the playoffs. Elias Lindholm hasn’t quite been the fit that Vancouver hoped.
12. Toronto Maple Leafs
They got past the first round last season for the first time since 2004 and NHL goal leader Auston Matthews and their top players are dangerous. Tyler Bertuzzi is starting to take off and they added some penalty killers, but is their goaltending good enough?
13. Philadelphia Flyers
The Flyers’ rebuild is ahead of schedule, but they didn’t want to lose sight of the long-term picture. They traded Sean Walker for a first-round pick, then had injuries on their blue line. They have lost three in a row but added Russian goalie Ivan Fedotov to back up Samuel Ersson. The 2022 Olympic silver medalist will be available for the playoffs.
14. Los Angeles Kings
They have great penalty killing, but they appear to be headed to a first-round matchup against the Central Division winner or the Oilers. Not ideal. They have lost to the Oilers the past two playoffs and are a combined 1-5 versus the Stars and Avalanche this season.
15. Winnipeg Jets
They’ll likely have to get past the Stars and Avalanche to reach the conference final and start both series on the road. That will be tough. Plus, they’re on a fivegame losing streak.
16. Washington Capitals
They sat in the second wild-card spot at press time, but aminus-31 goal differential doesn’t bode well for a playoff run.
17. St. Louis Blues
They’re currently out of a playoff spot, but interim coach Drew Bannister has them on a 7-2-1 run. The Blues won the 2019 Stanley Cup the last time they made an in-season coaching change.
18. Detroit Red Wings
They are close to a berth but are heading the wrong way, going 3-12 in their last 15 games.
19. New York Islanders
See the Capitals. Their goal differential is -29.
Time running out
New Jersey Devils, Minnesota Wild, Pittsburgh Penguins, Buffalo Sabres, Seattle Kraken, Calgary Flames.