Stanley Cup Odds for Every NHL Team at Start of 2016-17 NHL Season
The usual suspects should contend for the Stanley Cup again this year, but ahead of the drop of the puck for the 2016-17 season on Thursday, everyone still has a shot.
Some teams are ready to make strides and challenge for the playoffs for the first time in a while. Others are looking to improve on already impressive performances last year.
Many will have to settle for the fact they're not quite there yet and continue to build toward the goal of becoming postseason threats.
With a deep look at each team's roster following the moves made this offseason, we've assigned Stanley Cup odds to all 30 NHL clubs.
Click through to see where your team ranks, what they've got going for them and what's working against their odds to hoist the Cup next June.
Arizona Coyotes
1 of 30
Working in their favour: The Arizona Coyotes management has done a good job at reworking the defensive group and has a solid top four and respectable top seven thanks to the additions of Alex Goligoski and Luke Schenn. That should help out the goaltenders.
The offense could be even more exciting than last year, with rookies Dylan Strome and Christian Dvorak pushing to make the roster at center. The top-nine group looks much improved over last year's, which ranked 24th in goals-per-game average.
Working against them: The goaltending is still super suspect, with Mike Smith struggling with his health and consistency over the past four years. Prospect Louis Domingue fared well at times when forced into a starting role but finished with a .912 save percentage and 2.75 goals-against average. One of them needs to secure the top spot with good early performances.
The team is also relying heavily on youth for improvement, and young players are unpredictable at best.
Odds: 500-1
Vancouver Canucks
2 of 30
Working in their favour: As long as the Sedin Twins are still playing, the Vancouver Canucks have some hope. The Swedes got a compatriot to play alongside them in Loui Eriksson, the team paying top dollar for the UFA winger. That may help the overall offensive numbers a little, and a full year of center Brandon Sutter would help as well, taking some pressure off the 21-year-old Bo Horvat and allowing him to grow more gradually.
Working against them: The defense took a big hit in free agency with the departure of Dan Hamhuis. They also lost depth rearguards Matt Bartkowski and Yannick Weber. Alexander Edler has battled injuries, and if he is lost, the players behind him are widely unproven and young.
The team needs Ryan Miller or Jacob Markstrom to play consistently to take the top role to help cover up those defensive holes, but neither may be capable of that.
Odds: 250-1
Toronto Maple Leafs
3 of 30
Working in their favour: To find something that can realistically connect the Toronto Maple Leafs to the Stanley Cup, you first have to be a believer in a higher power—and then believe that it is a Leafs fan. As much hope as some of the talented youngsters the team has picked up the past couple of years offers, guys such as Auston Matthews are going to take time to develop into a core that can win it all.
Working against them: Pretty much everything. New goalie Frederik Andersen had good numbers with the Anaheim Ducks, but he had a much better team in front of him. Matthews is already facing massive pressure to help turn the Leafs' fortunes around. The defense has a nice breakout prospect in Morgan Rielly but nothing but question marks behind him. It’s a team hoping to be competitive as possible during the second year of a total rebuild.
Odds: 150-1
.png?w=256 "NHL Mock Draft")
.jpg?w=256 "Kucherov Landing Spots")
.png?w=256)
Colorado Avalanche
4 of 30
Working in their favour: The Colorado Avalanche has made some key moves to improve the defense, which has long been their weakness. They brought in depth with veteran Fedor Tyutin and some upside in young journeyman Patrick Wiercioch.
They'll hope Eric Gelinas can return to form with a new start after a disappointing season with the New Jersey Devils and that new head coach Jared Bednar's aggressive system will work well for the group, headlined by puck-movers Tyson Barrie, Erik Johnson and Nikita Zadorov.
Working against them: Scoring was more difficult than most believed it would be for a group that has young offensive forwards such as Nathan MacKinnon and Matt Duchene. They finished 20th in the league last year with 211 goals. But the offseason did little to address that issue unless they believe Joe Colborne is going to become a regular 20-goal scorer or that the 39-year-old Jarome Iginla is going to return to his 30-goal self.
Former head coach Patrick Roy also left them high and dry pretty late in the summer, so the transition to the new leadership could take some time.
Odds: 100-1
Columbus Blue Jackets
5 of 30
Working in their favour: The Columbus Blue Jackets' AHL affiliate, the Cleveland Monsters, won the championship last year, so the franchise has some nice youngsters looking to move up and challenge veterans for bigger roles. Among them are defenseman Zach Werenski and winger Oliver Bjorkstrand.
Having Seth Jones on the blue line for a full season should be great for the group. Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky looked good in the World Cup, playing four games for Russia and finishing with a .930 save percentage.
Working against them: The defense doesn't have great depth beyond the top three and could be prone to making big mistakes. Bobrovsky's numbers have declined the past two seasons. If Sam Gagner is their answer to the question of center depth, they are in trouble.
Despite some promising prospects such as Alexander Wennberg and rookie Pierre-Luc Dubois, the team may have to rely on winger Boone Jenner shifting back to center until they get consistency out of the newcomers in the absence of former No. 1 pivot Ryan Johansen.
Odds: 90-1
Buffalo Sabres
6 of 30
Working in their favour: The addition of defenseman Dmitry Kulikov gives the Buffalo Sabres a more solid top-four group with some offensive upside. Goaltender Robin Lehner should get a chance to prove he's the starter they envisioned when they brought him over and that last year's injuries only delayed the justification. In his limited starts, his numbers were solid. He had a .924 save percentage across 21 appearances.
Working against them: The offense lacks depth behind the top six players, and even the acquisition of top free-agent signing Kyle Okposo may not be enough to bump the goals up enough from last year's awful 199 scored—which ranked fifth-worst in the NHL.
They're depending heavily on Evander Kane avoiding trouble and staying healthy, as well as a bounce back season from Tyler Ennis, who has recovered from his concussions. The group hasn't changed much from last year and is depending on internal growth.
Odds: 90-1
Carolina Hurricanes
7 of 30
Working in their favour: The Carolina Hurricanes have improved their speed and scoring touch with the addition of Teuvo Teravainen and Lee Stempniak. The top nine could be dangerous offensively if Jeff Skinner and Jordan Staal stay healthy, Victor Rask continues to develop and Elias Lindholm can develop a chemistry with rookie Sebastien Aho. The defense is young but boasts plenty of talent and depth that will only improve as the year goes on.
Working against them: Cam Ward and Eddie Lack are both less than impressive as starting goalies in the league at this point of their respective careers. They combined for a .906 save percentage a year ago and need to be much better for the Hurricanes to have a hope of reaching the playoffs. The team is lacking star power up front and scored just 196 goals last year—good for the fourth-worst total in the league.
Odds: 80-1
Edmonton Oilers
8 of 30
Working in their favour: Captain Connor McDavid is one of the league's best players, and he hasn't even completed a full season with the Edmonton Oilers. He is surrounded by first-round talent in Jordan Eberle, Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and now Jesse Puljujarvi. They added some toughness and grit with unrestricted free agent Milan Lucic, someone they hope will help change their identity.
Working against them: Despite all the offensive talent, the gaps on defense have always been too big to bridge. The addition of Adam Larsson and free agent Kris Russell will help, but the Oilers will need Oscar Klefbom and Darnell Nurse to make major strides. Andrew Ference may retire, and the state of the top four outside of Andrej Sekera and Larsson all have big question marks early into their careers.
Goalie Cam Talbot was decent at times in his first year as starter but was a little inconsistent after leaving the long shadow of Henrik Lundqvist in New York.
Odds: 80-1
Ottawa Senators
9 of 30
Working in their favour: The Ottawa Senators were lacking an locker-room leader on offense but get one in Derick Brassard after trading away a pretty good player in Mika Zibanejad to get the left-shooting pivot from the New York Rangers.
Defenseman Erik Karlsson is an incredible player who could challenge for both the Hart Trophy and the Norris Trophy. New coach Guy Boucher—the team’s seventh coach in nine seasons—and associate Marc Crawford might help change the group dynamic and bring some confidence in.
Working against them: The defense behind Karlsson is questionable. Dion Phaneuf may improve with a full summer and training camp with the team he joined in a midseason trade, but his best years are behind him. The team is still waiting for Cody Ceci to have a real breakout.
Goaltender Craig Anderson might have a hard time fending off Andrew Hammond for starts, but not because Hammond is forcing his way in with extraordinary play—Anderson is simply faltering more as he ages.
Odds: 80-1
Calgary Flames
10 of 30
Working in their favour: The goaltending should be much improved, with Brian Elliott taking over as starter and Chad Johnson providing solid backup ability. Sam Bennett appears poised to make a big breakout as the second-line center, leaving the more well-rounded Mikael Backlund to play as the shutdown third-line pivot.
The defense is talented at the top end, with Mark Giordano, T.J. Brodie and Dougie Hamilton all skilled enough to be All-Stars if they play up to potential.
Working against them: Elliott hasn't been through a heavy starter's schedule since 2011—the last time he started more than 50 games in a single year. The Flames brought in a couple of right-wingers in Alex Chiasson and Troy Brouwer but aren't yet sure who will be worthy of playing on the top line with Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan.
The team is relying on some young guns to do the heavy lifting offensively, and that could also mean forcing Matthew Tkachuk into regular NHL action too early.
Odds: 75-1
Winnipeg Jets
11 of 30
Working in their favour: The evolution of center Mark Scheifele as a top center has been impressive, and the Winnipeg Jets’ collection of talented young players is on the rise. Rookie Patrik Laine looks like he could be a star at this level, and Kyle Connor will add some offense, making the transition from the college ranks.
The top nine forwards look solid. The top three defenders can eat up a bunch of minutes, with Tobias Enstrom, Dustin Byfuglien and Tyler Myers, and all three can produce offensively as well.
Working against them: Goaltending will always be a major question mark as long as the Jets have Ondrej Pavelec in the starting role. The three-headed monster of Pavelec, Connor Hellebuyck and Michael Hutchinson needs to see one emerge as a leader at the position.
Odds: 65-1
Detroit Red Wings
12 of 30
Working in their favour: The Detroit Red Wings have a 25-year playoff streak going and have done that with a constant renewal of resources. They have some good young players such as Tomas Tatar, Gustav Nyquist and Dylan Larkin ready to play bigger roles and could see production from rookie Anthony Mantha, Riley Sheahan, Andreas Athanasiou and Teemu Pulkkinen. They've also still got Henrik Zetterberg in the lineup.
Working against them: The Wings were in the bottom third of the NHL in goals scored last season and then lost their best player, Pavel Datsyuk, when he decided to play closer to home in the KHL and effectively retire from the NHL a year before his contract expired. He was a magician offensively but was just as good without the puck.
Larkin will have to move to center to help compensate, and there will be a lot of pressure on the sophomore, as well as newcomer Frans Nielsen.
Odds: 65-1
Boston Bruins
13 of 30
Working in their favour: The Boston Bruins offense shouldn't suffer this season, even with the loss of 30-goal scorer Eriksson. They brought in David Backes and made the center position one of great strength—and giving themselves the ability to use one at wing if it's the best fit when all are healthy.
They may not have improved the league's fifth-ranked offense, but it is equally as good. Tuukka Rask should be able to rebound from his disappointing season, during which his save percentage dropped to .915. He's still just 29 years old.
Working against them: That defense has little room for error and is prone to plenty of it. Zdeno Chara can't handle the same kind of workload he used to, and Torey Krug has been hurt throughout training camp. They didn't add any top four-quality defenders, unless you believe the retention of John-Michael Liles was a big move. They will be depending on a few players best suited for bottom-pairing defenders in much bigger roles.
Odds: 55-1
Philadelphia Flyers
14 of 30
Working in their favour: The Philadelphia Flyers defense looks like it will be capable of contributing offensively, with last year’s revelation, Shayne Gostisbehere, set to play a full season and prospect Ivan Provorov looking like an NHL regular in camp.
Provorov was the best rearguard in the Canadian Hockey League last year. The depth on the back end is more promising in Philly than it has been in years. Jakub Voracek should rebound after a 55-point year as a follow-up to an 81-point campaign the previous season.
Working against them: The group is just way too inconsistent. The Flyers got into the playoffs last year on the strength of goalies Steve Mason and Michal Neuvirth down the stretch. The offense went cold and was overly dependent on the top line of wingers Brayden Schenn, Wayne Simmonds and center Claude Giroux. The offense finished in the bottom third of the league and didn’t get any help in the offseason.
Odds: 55-1
New Jersey Devils
15 of 30
Working in their favour: Making a deal for Taylor Hall, a stellar scoring forward who has a chip on his shoulder to prove he wasn’t part of the Edmonton Oilers’ problem getting wins, was a huge move for the New Jersey Devils, the league’s most abysmal offense last season. He should give the Devils a dynamic top six, with Hall and Michael Cammalleri anchoring the left side.
Cory Schneider is one of the best goaltenders in the league and could have a Vezina clinching season if the Devils can get into the playoffs.
Working against them: Even though Schneider is stellar and the move to acquire Hall was critical for the team moving forward, the Devils defense suffers with the loss of Adam Larsson. The Swede was a big minute-eater who was starting to excel in his own zone. The Devils have just five blueliners on one-way deals and will be relying on some younger players to earn bigger roles. If they leave Schneider hanging too often, more goals from the offense won’t matter.
Odds: 55-1
Minnesota Wild
16 of 30
Working in their favour: Bruce Boudreau is a heck of a coach, and the Minnesota Wild have enough youngsters for him to work with to try to rise in the standings and perhaps make a deeper playoff run. The team added free-agent center Eric Staal in the hopes he could have a rebound season with a top-line role, and he could thrive with the new opportunity and a linemate such as Zach Parise.
The defense is deep and talented at the top, with Ryan Suter leading the way.
Working against them: Devan Dubnyk is a good goaltender, but his numbers dropped in his first full season as a starter in Minnesota after he earned Vezina consideration the previous year for a half-season's work. He will need more support from the offense under Boudreau, and there is a big reliance on veterans such as Parise, Staal and center Mikko Koivu for production. They're all over 30.
Odds: 45-1
Montreal Canadiens
17 of 30
Working in their favour: The return of a healthy Carey Price makes all the difference in the world to the Montreal Canadiens, a team that completely fell apart last season when the goaltender was hurt—missing the playoffs for just the second time during his NHL career.
Some additional scoring power should also help the team become more balanced in front of Price, which is why they splurged and locked up free agent Alexander Radulov from the KHL. They added depth and grit with a trade for Andrew Shaw and got great results from Alex Galchenyuk when promoted to center the top line late in the season.
Working against them: The defensive group is older, and that's not necessarily a good thing. The Habs feel they've got a more stable presence in their own end with Shea Weber after the trade that sent P.K. Subban to the Nashville Predators, but now the top two blueliners are Weber and veteran Andrei Markov, who are both in the latter stages of their career and no longer at full speed in the transition game. The move, made to improve balance and chemistry, may have the opposite effect.
Odds: 45-1
Nashville Predators
18 of 30
Working in their favour: The addition of electrifying defenseman Subban will certainly energize the group, and he could have a positively polarizing presence for the Nashville Predators. The team's strength continues to be that deep defensive core—even without former captain Weber. Mattias Ekholm, Roman Josi, Subban and Ryan Ellis is a nice top four for any team.
The young offense is growing into a deep group with plenty of scoring potential, led by Filip Forsberg and Ryan Johansen, who should be more settled in his first full year in Music City.
Working against them: Pekka Rinne used to be a sure thing as a top-level goaltender. But he has struggled with injury in recent years and had no excuses for his decline last season. He finished with a .908 save percentage and 2.48 goals-against average while starting 66 contests in 2015-16. He will turn 34 early in November and has posted a save percentage higher than .920 just once in the past four seasons. He was also up-and-down in last season's playoffs.
Odds: 40-1
Los Angeles Kings
19 of 30
Working in their favour: The defensive system employed by head coach Darryl Sutter has been good enough for a couple of Stanley Cup wins over the past five seasons in spite of a lack of real defensive depth behind Drew Doughty and a lack of elite scoring from the forwards.
Goaltender Jonathan Quick doesn't have an impressive save percentage but faces a lot of quality scoring chances and is reliable with timely stops and typically owns a low goals-against average, with a career mark of 2.27.
Working against them: With goals already at a premium, the Kings lost Milan Lucic in free agency. Marian Gaborik has struggled with injuries and is no longer a guaranteed producer, and a lot of the scoring burden falls on Anze Kopitar, Jeff Carter and Tyler Toffoli. The team finished 14th in scoring last year and will need to be at that same level despite the drop off in scoring talent, which means guys such as the incoming Teddy Purcell, veteran Dustin Brown and the 24-year-old Tanner Pearson are going to have to step it up.
Odds: 35-1
Florida Panthers
20 of 30
Working in their favour: The Florida Panthers made it to the playoffs for just the second time in 15 seasons last year and are on the upswing with their first Atlantic Division title. They locked up their core group to long-term deals and have plenty of offensive depth, with veteran Jaromir Jagr back for another year of mentorship alongside Jonathan Huberdeau, Aleksander Barkov, Vincent Trocheck and Reilly Smith, among others. The defense has been bolstered by the additions of Keith Yandle and Jason Demers.
Working against them: Goaltender Roberto Luongo was incredible during the regular season but showed some wear and tear in the playoffs, running out of steam against the New York Islanders and ultimately needing surgery on his hip in the offseason. His health and stamina are the reasons the team brought in backup James Reimer after securing Reto Berra in a trade, but neither of them has the same top level of play Luongo does, so if he falters during the year, the team could suffer.
Odds: 30-1
New York Islanders
21 of 30
Working in their favour: The New York Islanders have one of the deepest rosters in the league from top to bottom, including a superstar center capable of claiming the Hart Trophy in John Tavares—who should find himself near the top of the scoring race by the end of the season.
Newcomer Andrew Ladd could be a 30-goal scorer and P.A. Parenteau may crack 20 again if he plays with Tavares. The goaltending tandem is solid, with Jaroslav Halak one of the stars of the World Cup of Hockey and Thomas Greiss showing in the playoffs he is comfortable playing a role bigger than backup. On defense, rookie Ryan Pulock is promising and could make it that veteran free-agent signing Dennis Seidenberg becomes a depth player who may not even dress regularly.
Working against them: The departure of Okposo was a blow, but second-line center Nielsen was an even bigger loss because of his two-way ability. The team will need a giant leap forward from Ryan Strome and perhaps young center Mathew Barzal to give the Isles much needed depth down the middle. Stome had 50 points as a rookie but just 28 last year.
Halak has been injury prone in the past, and Greiss hasn’t had to play many long spurts as a starter, so the team will have to hope the platoon works.
Odds: 25-1
New York Rangers
22 of 30
Working in their favour: Offensively, the New York Rangers made tremendous moves in the offseason, adding free agents Jimmy Vesey, Michael Grabner, Nathan Gerbe, Brandon Pirri and KHL star Pavel Buchnevich. They also made a nice trade by bringing the 23-year-old center Zibanejad aboard. He is already a productive second-line center with a lot of upside. If these new players contribute and other veterans continue to grow, the Rangers could be one of the NHL’s top offensive teams.
Working against them: As nice as the offense looks with Rick Nash now backed by a very strong supporting cast, the defense has massive holes. The loss of power-play quarterback Yandle can’t be understated. The team will rely on Ryan McDonagh to fill that role, but it might spread him too thin.
Veterans Dan Girardi and Marc Staal looked slow last year, and Kevin Klein and Nick Holden are average bottom-pairing guys who shouldn’t have to play more than depth roles. The 34-year-old Lundqvist is still a great goalie, but his play has dipped a little at times the last couple of years, and he is teetering on decline.
Odds: 20-1
Anaheim Ducks
23 of 30
Working in their favour: Randy Carlyle has won the Stanley Cup in Anaheim previously, with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry along for the ride back in 2007. It may be 10 years later, but he knows how to get the most out of those core stars—and these are not the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Ducks also have spectacular depth on the blue line, assuming they are able to re-sign restricted free agent Hampus Lindholm sooner rather than later.
Goaltender John Gibson was given the official starting nod with the trade of Frederik Andersen.
Working against them: The aforementioned core stars Getzlaf and Perry haven't been able to duplicate their amazing feat of a decade ago and the already thin winger ranks did not fare well in the offseason. The team lost David Perron, Chris Stewart, Brandon Pirri and Jamie McGinn, bringing in Mason Raymond, Antoine Vermette and Jared Boll as replacements. Secondary scoring could be a problem for last year's 17th-ranked offense.
Odds: 20-1
St. Louis Blues
24 of 30
Working in their favour: That St. Louis Blues defense is pretty strong at the top. Jay Bouwmeester and Alex Pietrangelo were beasts for Team Canada at the World Cup, and behind them, Kevin Shattenkirk and Colton Parayko are capable of big minutes and offensive production.
Joel Edmundson, Carl Gunnarsson and Robert Bortuzzo provide nice depth. They added some forwards with some upside in Perron and Nail Yakupov after losing a couple of key pieces to free agency. Forward Robby Fabbri had 15 points in 20 playoff contests.
Working against them: Veteran forwards Backes, their former captain, and Troy Brouwer were important as much for the gritty style of play they showed in the playoffs as the actual production they put out offensively before their offseason switches. They also traded away goalie Elliott to make Jake Allen the full-time starter. Allen had good numbers but hasn’t been a top goalie over a full season in the NHL yet.
Steve Ott was another veteran role player who left, and his time in St. Louis was probably underappreciated by many.
Odds: 18-1
Tampa Bay Lightning
25 of 30
Working in their favour: Jonathan Drouin had a great playoff run for the Tampa Bay Lightning, seemingly putting his troubles with the franchise in the past and looking like a top offensive weapon for the team going forward. Cornerstones Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman re-signed with the Bolts in the offseason. Goaltenders Ben Bishop and Andrei Vasilevskiy are maybe the best one-two punch in the league at the position.
Working against them: The team is strong at the top of each position, but depth isn’t great up front or on the back end. Offense is mainly produced by the top six forwards, and the Bolts will need more from the bottom two lines to have a real chance at the Cup. Anton Stralman and Hedman are a top pair worthy of headlining any team’s defense, but there is a large drop off on the next pairing—and an even steeper dip at the third tier.
Odds: 16-1
Chicago Blackhawks
26 of 30
Working in their favour: Brian Campbell's return to the defense gives the Chicago Blackhawks the quality top four they were missing last season after the departure of Johnny Oduya. They've still got their elite three in Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith and have plenty of solid support pieces up front such as Marian Hossa, Artemi Panarin and Artem Anisimov despite having to part ways with a few others for salary-cap reasons. Corey Crawford is one of the most underrated goalies in the NHL.
Working against them: The Hawks will be extremely dependant on the top two lines to produce most of the scoring, and the quality of backfilling for those lost to cap cuts or trades is not as good as it has been in the past. Young players are going to be relied upon for much bigger roles than they may be ready for up front.
Odds: 14-1
Dallas Stars
27 of 30
Working in their favour: That Dallas Stars offense only improved in the offseason. They might have lost a young prospect in Valeri Nichushkin but added a potential steal in unrestricted free agent Jiri Hudler, who had a 31-goal, 76-point season two years ago. Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin should both be healthy, and Patrick Sharp is a member of the Stars for at least one more year. With Jason Spezza as the second-line center, the top six is loaded. They were the league's most potent offense last season.
Working against them: The goaltending tandem may not have cost them much in the regular-season, but in the playoffs, the inconsistent play of both Kari Lehtonen and Antti Niemi was a factor in their seven-game, second-round playoff loss to the St. Louis Blues. Neither had a save percentage higher than .906 in the regular season, allowing more goals against than any other team that qualified for the postseason. In the playoffs, neither goalie cracked the .900 mark in save percentage.
Odds: 12-1
San Jose Sharks
28 of 30
Working in their favour: The Stanley Cup finalists had a deep group of forwards last year and were led by veteran Joe Thornton looking like he was in his prime again, even at 36. It got even better with the addition of free agent Mikkel Boedker, who is blazing fast and fits the San Jose Sharks' style of play perfectly, giving them more lineup options in the top nine. The defense is deep, dynamic and balanced.
Working against them: The Sharks scored on more than 22 per cent of their power-play opportunities last year, and that carried them offensively. They need to produce more at five-on-five. Goalie Martin Jones was good in his first year as an NHL starter, with a .918 save percentage and a 2.27 goals-against-average, but can he do it again? The same question can be asked of Thornton after his return to a point-per-game average.
Odds: 12-1
Pittsburgh Penguins
29 of 30
Working in their favour: Well, they won it all last season and return pretty much the same roster for 2016-17, so it may be tough for any other team to dethrone them. They have tremendous speed, mobility and scoring ability, with arguably the most potent third line in the business.
The goaltending is even stronger this year after Matt Murray showed he is ready for prime time in the playoffs. Veteran Marc-Andre Fleury is no slouch, either. Sidney Crosby dominated at the World Cup of Hockey for the triumphant Team Canada.
Working against them: The defense’s success is very much dependent on the health of veteran leaders Kris Letang and Trevor Daley and the 22-year-old Olli Maatta. They have all struggled in that department the past couple of years. Justin Schultz and Ian Cole are best used in limited action, so the team needs Derrick Pouliot to play to his potential sooner rather than later and Brian Dumoulin to prove he can sustain the level of consistency he showed last year.
Odds: 10-1
Washington Capitals
30 of 30
Working in their favour: The Washington Capitals are a top contender because of their incredible star power and depth up front. There may be no better top six in the NHL, and Evgeny Kuznetsov and Nicklas Backstrom are two of the best centers in the league. Alex Ovechkin grows more hungry for a title every season that passes without a Cup, and he’s still growing as a player. Goaltender Braden Holtby was worthy of some Hart Trophy votes last year while claiming the Vezina as the best netminder in the NHL.
Working against them: There isn’t much not to like about the Caps chances this year, aside from the history of failure to win it all once they get to the playoffs. In terms of the roster, an injury to Holtby would leave the untested Philipp Grubauer in charge. The defensive depth isn’t as impressive as the forward group and needs Dmitry Orlov to grab a top-four role.
Odds: 9-1
All stats via NHL.com.
.png?w=480 "NHL Mock Draft")
.jpg?w=480 "Kucherov Landing Spots")
.png?w=480)
.png?w=600 "B/R NHL Staff Second-Round Predictions 🏒")
