5 Cinderella Teams That Can Win the Stanley Cup This Season
The 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs begin April 20. With the regular-season schedule in the home stretch, the top teams in the standings such as the Florida Panthers, Colorado Avalanche and Boston Bruins are among DraftKings' favorites to win hockey holy grail.
However, a wild-card "Cinderella" club might pull off an upset and march to Stanley Cup glory. Make the playoffs, and anything can happen.
NHL playoff history is replete with clubs that defied the odds to reach the Stanley Cup Final. The most recent examples include the 2021 Montreal Canadiens, the 2019 St. Louis Blues, the 2017 Nashville Predators and the 2010 Philadelphia Flyers. The Blues were the only one in this group to win the Cup.
Which of this year's potentially lower-seeded playoff clubs have a chance at taking home Lord Stanley's mug? Follow along as we look at those that could have the best shot.
We've excluded the Vegas Golden Knights and Tampa Bay Lightning from our list. The Golden Knights won the Cup last year and the Lightning were back-to-back winners in 2020 and 2021. While they could both get into the playoffs as wild cards, they possess too much championship-caliber talent to be considered Cinderella clubs.
Please let us know what you think of our choices or if you believe another team belongs on this list in our app comments below.
Detroit Red Wings
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It's been eight years since the Detroit Red Wings reached the playoffs. Rebuilding under general manager Steve Yzerman since 2019-20, the Wings are battling with the Washington Capitals and New York Islanders for the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth.
The Wings haven't made it easy for themselves. Following an 8-3 victory over the Capitals on Feb. 27, they were riding a six-game win streak that had them perched in the first wild-card spot with 72 points, three up on the Lightning and just two points behind the third-place Toronto Maple Leafs in the Atlantic Division.
Their next 10 games were a nightmare. They won just twice with team captain Dylan Larkin sidelined by a lower-body injury. Having slipped into the final wild-card spot, they've been trying to hold off the surging Capitals. If they can hang on, they have the weapons to make some noise in the postseason.
They're a better club with captain Larkin in the lineup. Veterans Patrick Kane, David Perron and J.T. Compher have a wealth of playoff experience and Stanley Cup rings to show for it. They also possess a two-time 40-goal scorer in Alex DeBrincat and rising stars like winger Lucas Raymond and defenseman Moritz Seider.
The Wings probably have the longest odds of winning the Stanley Cup among the playoff contenders. Still, they could channel the spirit of the 2010 Philadelphia Flyers. That club squeaked into the playoffs with a shootout goal in the last game of the regular season and marched to within two games of winning the Cup.
Los Angeles Kings
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Few teams experienced extreme changes in fortunes this season like the Los Angeles Kings. Despite a 5-4-3 home record by Dec. 7, they won 11 straight road games to set an NHL record for the longest season-opening road wins streak. On Dec. 27, they had a record of 20-7-4, sitting in third place in the Pacific Division with 44 points.
The Kings then fell into a monthlong funk, going 3-8-6 over their next 17 games. By Jan. 31, they were clinging to a wild-card berth with 56 points and in danger of tumbling out of playoff contention. Two days later, head coach Todd McLellan was replaced by Jim Hiller on an interim basis.
That coaching change was a wake-up call for the Kings as they've gone 13-7-1 and moved back into third place in the Pacific. They cannot afford another meltdown, but if they can at least maintain or build on their current pace, they should make the playoffs.
The Kings have several experienced players who could lead them on a Cinderella run. Center Anze Kopitar and defenseman Drew Doughty are long-time stars who helped the Kings win the Cup in 2012 and 2014. Center Phillip Danault went to the Final in 2021 with the Canadiens.
Thanks to reliable wingers Adrian Kempe and Trevor Moore and the emergence of Quinton Byfield, the Kings possess two good scoring lines. They're getting good goaltending from Cam Talbot and a solid defense whose 2.54 goals-against per game is the NHL's third-lowest. Their penalty-killing percentage (86.3) is the league's best.
Nashville Predators
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It's been a season of ups and downs for the Nashville Predators. They were jockeying for a wild-card berth in the Western Conference for most of the first half, but a 3-6-1 swoon from Jan. 18 to Feb. 15 sent them tumbling out of the wild-card picture, threatening to derail their season.
General manager Barry Trotz made his displeasure felt over his club's poor play during that stretch. He canceled a planned team outing to Las Vegas during their five-game road trip to watch a U2 concert. His embarrassed players got the message. Between Feb. 17 and March 21, they won 14 of 16 games and picked up points in their two overtime losses.
That canceled trip may have saved the Predators' season. They hold the first Western wild-card spot and could solidify their grip on that position in the final weeks of the regular-season schedule. They've risen to 12th in goals per game (3.26), while their 2.94 goals-against per game is the 10th-lowest in the league.
The Predators have the veteran leadership to guide them to the Stanley Cup. Center Ryan O'Reilly was part of the St. Louis Blues' 2019 Cup run and defensemen Ryan McDonagh and Luke Schenn won two Cups in 2020 and 2021 with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Team captain Roman Josi and winger Filip Forsberg were part of the Predators' 2017 Cup finalist squad.
O'Reilly is a proven playoff performer who won the 2019 Conn Smythe Trophy. Forsberg has risen to the occasion during postseason play. Starting goaltender Juuse Saros was a Vezina Trophy finalist in 2021-22 who could win a series by himself if he's on a hot streak.
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Philadelphia Flyers
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Expectations were low for the rebuilding Philadelphia Flyers entering this season. Under head coach John Tortorella, however, this club has held on to third place in the Metropolitan Division since late December.
The Flyers have wobbled at times during this season. They've struggled since the March 8 trade deadline after shipping defenseman Sean Walker to the Colorado Avalanche. Team captain Sean Couturier was scratched from two games. Rookie goalie Samuel Ersson appears to be feeling the effects of a heavy workload.
If Tortorella and his troops can find a way to hang on to their current position in the standings, they could become a difficult team to face in the opening round. As underdogs, they won't be under the same pressure as their highly favored opponents. That could work to their advantage.
The Flyers are an interesting mix of veterans and young talent. Couturier, Cam Atkinson, Erik Johnson, Travis Sanheim, Scott Laughton, Owen Tippett and Travis Konecny have varying levels of playoff experience. Youngsters like Ersson, Cam York, Tyson Foerster and Morgan Frost will be keen to prove their mettle in their first NHL postseason.
Tortorella has considerable postseason experience behind the bench, which would serve him well in these playoffs. His Flyers have bought into his aggressive forechecking style. They've been defensively sound, giving up the third-lowest shots-against per game (27.0). Meanwhile, their penalty-killing percentage (84.6) is the league's third-best.
Washington Capitals
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During this season, the Washington Capitals have been in and out of an Eastern Conference wild-card position. A 1-6-2 slump from Jan. 20 to Feb. 13 sent them sliding down the standings, leaving them six points out of a playoff berth.
Since Feb. 17, however, the Capitals have steadily clawed their way back into the postseason picture. They've gone 11-6-1 in their last 18 games and are jockeying with the Detroit Red Wings and New York Islanders for the final Eastern wild-card berth.
The Capitals still have a handful of talented veterans like captain Alex Ovechkin, wingers T.J. Oshie and Tom Wilson and defenseman John Carlson remaining from their 2018 Stanley Cup team. Starting goaltender Darcy Kuemper won a Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 2022. Their experience and leadership could provide the Capitals with a winning edge.
They also possess several promising players such as Connor McMichael, Hendrix Lapierre, and Ivan Miroshnichenko. Their energetic play in their first-ever NHL playoffs could bring a welcome boost to their roster.
The Capitals aren't the offensive powerhouse they once were because they've been retooling their roster. Still, their mix of experienced veterans and budding young talent could be dangerous if their opponents take them lightly.
Stats and standings (as of March 22, 2024) via NHL.com with additional info via Hockey-Reference.com.
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