Why Each NHL Playoff Team Won't Win the Stanley Cup
The 2023 NHL Stanley Cup playoffs began on Monday as 16 teams begin what they hope will be their path to championship glory. Only one will survive the two-month, four-series journey to hoist The Cup.
On Sunday, we looked at the factors that would give each of this year's postseason teams a chance to win the Cup. Today, we'll examine the issues that could prevent them from going all the way.
A popgun offense, a porous defense or shaky goaltending could derail their championship dreams. Injuries could mount as the play becomes more defensive and physically demanding as the postseason goes along. A lack of playoff experience for young players can be a factor but the grind can also take its toll on older players.
This listing is broken down by division based on where each team finished in the standings. Feel free to weigh in with your thoughts if you agree or disagree with our analysis.
Atlantic Division
1 of 4
Boston Bruins
The Bruins' power-play percentage slipped over the course of the regular season to 12th overall at 22.2 percent. Goaltenders Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman have a combined eight games of playoff experience. Aging centers Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci could find the toll of a long playoff drive more taxing this year.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Leafs stars Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares and William Nylander have yet to deliver in elimination game situations. Starting goalie Matt Murray is recovering from a concussion while backup Ilya Samsonov has only eight playoff games under his belt. They once again face the mounting pressure to deliver their first playoff series win since 2004.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Three consecutive trips to the Stanley Cup Final could extract a physical toll on veteran core players Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov, Victor Hedman and Andrei Vasilevskiy in this postseason. Their roster isn't as deep compared to the past three seasons and it showed at times during the season. Their penalty-killing percentage (79.7) was 15th overall this season.
Florida Panthers
Starting netminder Sergei Bobrovsky has a postseason record of 17 wins and 29 losses with a 3.13 goals-against average and a .901 save percentage. Their penalty-killing percentage this season (76.0) is the second-worst among the 16 playoff clubs while their faceoff win percentage (48.9) is the fourth-worst.
Central Division
2 of 4
Dallas Stars
Starting goaltender Jake Oettinger could burn out after going from 48 games played last season to 62 this season. They run the same risk with 38-year-old defenseman Ryan Suter seeing top-pairing minutes. Leading scorer Jason Robertson could struggle against stingier defensive hockey in the postseason.
Colorado Avalanche
The defending Stanley Cup champions adjusted without left wing Gabriel Landeskog because of his season-ending knee injury, but they'll still miss their captain's toughness and leadership. Superstar defenseman Cale Makar has been banged up this season. Starting goalie Alexandar Georgiev has only two playoff games on his resume.
Minnesota Wild
Two-way center Joel Eriksson Ek could miss the start of the postseason with a lower-body injury. His absence weakens the Wild's already shallow depth at center. Their 2.91 goals-per-game average during the regular season is the lowest among the playoff clubs. Leading scoring Kirill Kaprizov could be neutralized by tighter-checking opposition.
Winnipeg Jets
The Jets were among the top teams in the first half of the season but staggered through the second half and barely qualified for the playoffs. That inconsistency could prove costly if it continues in the postseason. Their regular-season 3.00 goals-per-game is the third-lowest of the 16 postseason teams while their 19.3 power-play percentage is the second-lowest.
Metropolitan Division
3 of 4
Carolina Hurricanes
Losing wingers Andrei Svechnikov and Max Pacioretty to season-ending injuries and the decline in Teuvo Teravainen's scoring weakened the Hurricanes' offense. Other than Sebastian Aho, they lack a reliable scoring punch at center. Their power-play percentage this season (19.8) ranked 20th overall.
New Jersey Devils
Postseason inexperience could be an issue for the Devils against more seasoned opponents. Scoring forwards Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt and Dawson Mercer and goalies Mackenzie Blackwood, Vitek Vanecek and Akira Schmid have a grand total of nine playoff games among them. They're 13th this season in power-play production (21.9).
New York Rangers
Leading scorer Artemi Panarin will be under a harsher spotlight after facing criticism for costly mistakes in last year's postseason. Third-liners Filip Chytil, Alexis Lafreniere and Kaapo Kakko could struggle to meet expectations to replicate their 2022 playoff-scoring heroics. Their faceoff win percentage (49.1) was 20th this season.
New York Islanders
The return of Mathew Barzal from a lower-body injury provides a badly-needed boost to an offense that has the second-lowest goals per game (2.95) and the worst power-play percentage (15.8) among the 16 playoff clubs. Even with Barzal's return, the Islanders will be hard-pressed to outscore and contain opponents with more scoring depth.
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Pacific Division
4 of 4
Vegas Golden Knights
Star rookie goalie Logan Thompson's lower-body injury leaves them relying on an aging Jonathan Quick and backups Laurent Brossoit and Adin Hill. First-line center Jack Eichel is making his playoff debut and could struggle under postseason pressure. Captain Mark Stone is returning from a back injury but could be rusty after being sidelined since January.
Edmonton Oilers
Rookie goaltender Stuart Skinner took over the starter's role this season but has no NHL playoff experience. The Oilers' penalty-killing percentage (77.0) ranked 20th overall. Adding Mattias Ekholm before the deadline improved their defense, but they're still lacking a big-name No. 1 defender who can anchor their blue line.
Los Angeles Kings
Their goalie tandem of Joonas Korpisalo (nine playoff games) and Pheonix Copley (zero) lack substantial postseason experience. Their regular-season penalty-killing percentage (75.8) is the worst among the playoff clubs. It's uncertain if scoring winger Kevin Fiala will be available for the opening round.
Seattle Kraken
Scoring forwards Jared McCann, Matty Beniers and Daniel Sprong have played in just 15 combined playoff games. Winger André Burakovsky is sidelined for at least the first two rounds following a lower-body surgery. Their power play (19.8) and penalty-killing percentages (76.7) were among the lower third in the regular season.
Regular-season stats via NHL.com. Line combinations via Cap Friendly.
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