Why Each NHL Playoff Team Will Win the Stanley Cup
The opening round of the 2023 NHL Stanley Cup playoffs begins Monday as 16 teams commence the quest to win hockey's Holy Grail.
Clubs that finished highest in the standings tend to be most favored to go all the way. Nevertheless, there is always the possibility of upsets in the first round and throughout the long two-month march toward a championship.
All 16 teams will rely on their strengths to carry them to the Cup. Some possess a potent offense, some a stifling team defense while others have strong goaltending.
What follows is our assessment of every team in this year's playoffs to determine why each of them has what it takes to win the Stanley Cup. We've broken it down by division and where each club finished in the division standings.
Feel free to weigh in with your thoughts on this topic in the comments section below.
Atlantic Division
1 of 4
Boston Bruins
The Bruins set league records with 65 wins and 135 points to win the Presidents' Trophy. Led by 60-goal winger David Pastrňák, they finished second in goals-per-game (3.67) this season. Goalies Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman helped them achieve the lowest goals-against per game (2.12) and the best penalty-killing percentage (87.3).
Toronto Maple Leafs
Leading scorers Mitch Marner, Auston Matthews, William Nylander and John Tavares each had 80 or more points this season. The Maple Leafs' power-play percentage (26.0) is second overall. Adding center Ryan O'Reilly gives them championship experience and leadership. They're overdue to win their first Stanley Cup since 1967.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Led by the veteran core of Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov, Victor Hedman and Andrei Vasilevskiy, the Lightning possess the most playoff experience of all clubs in this postseason. Kucherov had a team-leading 113 points while Brayden Point tallied a career-best 51 goals. Their power-play percentage (25.4) sits fourth while their 3.41 goals-per-game ranks eighth.
Florida Panthers
Last season's Presidents' Trophy winners squeaked into this year's playoffs but they still pack plenty of scoring punch. Led by Matthew Tkachuk, Aleksander Barkov, Carter Verhaeghe and Brandon Montour, their 3.51 goals-per-game average ranks sixth overall and 10th in power-play percentage (22.8).
Central Division
2 of 4
Colorado Avalanche
Thanks to leading scorers Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen, the defending Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche possesses the league's sixth-best power-play percentage (24.5). Alexandar Georgiev tied for most wins (40) among starting goalies. Sidelined superstar defenseman Cale Makar is expected to return for the playoffs.
Dallas Stars
Powered by leading scorer Jason Robertson's 109-point performance, the Stars have the fifth-best power-play percentage (25.0) and seventh-best goals-per-game (3.43). A defense corps led by Miro Heiskanen and solid goaltending by Jake Oettinger gives them the third-lowest goals-against per game (2.62) and third-best penalty-killing percentage (83.5).
Minnesota Wild
A solid goaltending tandem of Marc-Andre Fleury and Filip Gustavsson gives the Wild the sixth-lowest goals-against per game (2.67). Scoring leader Kirill Kaprizov reached the 40-goal plateau for the second straight season. Sophomore winger Matt Boldy (63 points) established solid chemistry with trade deadline pickup Marcus Johansson.
Winnipeg Jets
The Jets returned to the playoffs in part because goalie Connor Hellebuyck finished among the league leaders with 37 wins and a .920 save percentage. Their penalty-killing percentage (82.4) is seventh overall. Josh Morrissey is tied for second among NHL defensemen with 76 points while center Mark Scheifele netted a career-best 40 goals.
Metropolitan Division
3 of 4
Carolina Hurricanes
Strong goaltending and defense are the Hurricanes' hallmarks. They've given up a league-low 26.0 shots-against per game while their goals-against per game (2.56) and penalty-killing percentage (84.4) sits second overall. Their top-four defensemen (Brent Burns, Jaccob Slavin, Brady Skjei and Brett Pesce) match up well against any team's offense.
New Jersey Devils
Leading scorers Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, Dougie Hamilton and Jesper Bratt have the Devils sitting fifth in goals-per-game (3.52). They got a further offensive boost in trade-deadline acquisition Timo Meier. They're also solid defensively with a goals-against per game (2.71) and penalty-killing percentage (82.6) among the league's best.
New York Rangers
The Rangers loaded up for a deep playoff run by acquiring Patrick Kane and Vladimir Tarasenko. They have considerable offensive talent in scoring leaders Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad while Adam Fox anchors the defense corps. Thanks to Vezina Trophy winner Igor Shesterkin, their 2.63 goals-against per game is the NHL's fourth-lowest.
New York Islanders
The Islanders qualified on their last game of the regular season but aren't to be taken lightly. Their team defense is built for the physical, closer-checking postseason game. Their 2.65 goals-against per game is the league's fifth-lowest in part because of starting goalie Ilya Sorokin. Leading scorer Brock Nelson had a career-best 75 points.
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Pacific Division
4 of 4
Vegas Golden Knights
The Golden Knights return to the postseason thanks in part to their ability to overcome a rash of injuries. Led by Jack Eichel, they've spread their offense throughout their lineup with seven players tallying 40 or more points. Reliable Alex Pietrangelo remains the workhorse of their blue line. Sidelined captain Mark Stone could return for the playoffs.
Edmonton Oilers
Powered by the league's leading scorers in Connor McDavid (153 points) and Leon Draisaitl (128 points), the Oilers' high-octane offense owns the league's best goals-per-game (3.96) and power-play percentage (32.4). Ryan Nugent-Hopkins reached a career-best 104 points. The addition in February of Mattias Ekholm provided a big boost to their defense corps.
Los Angeles Kings
Veterans Anže Kopitar and Drew Doughty continue to lead the way for their younger teammates. Off-season acquisition Kevin Fiala was a solid addition to their offense. Goalie Joonas Korpisalo and defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov were significant trade-deadline pickups. The Kings' power-play percentage (25.3) is the league's fourth-best.
Seattle Kraken
Reaching the playoffs in just their second NHL season, the Kraken have the ability to upset favored clubs. Led by Jared McCann, Vince Dunn, Jordan Eberle and rookie Matty Beniers, their 3.52 goals-per-game average sits fourth overall. Their stingy defense gave up the second-lowest shots-against per game (27.0)
Regular-season stats via NHL.com.
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