Dark-Horse Stanley Cup Contenders in the 2016-17 NHL Season

If the playoffs started today, some of the teams we thought would be contenders for the Stanley Cup—Tampa Bay, Nashville, maybe even the Dallas Stars—would not even be part of the program. It's not even Christmas yet, however, so good thing for them.

But it's not too early, not here anyway, to start thinking about the Cup chances of others we might have discounted but are showing they shouldn't have been. The New York Rangers and the Columbus Blue Jackets, for instance, weren't on many true-contender lists when the season started. But would anyone bet a lot against either team if the playoffs did indeed start today?

A lot can, and will, change in the next five months. Some teams listed here probably wouldn't be part of a revised one come April. But let's give them some props here and discuss realistic chances of Lord Stanley's silver punch bowl residing in their town next year.

Here we go with our list of dark-horse Cup contenders, with odds of winning for each:

Columbus Blue Jackets

Why it could happen: In late October, the wiseguys in Las Vegas, per ESPN, had the Blue Jackets at 100-1 to win the Cup. No doubt many wish they could turn back time and visit at a Vegas betting window when those odds were given, because that would have been worth a wager.

Right now, Columbus looks as good as anyone. The Blue Jackets have won six in a row and are 7-1-2 in the last 10. Their plus-31 goal differential (87-56) was the widest in the league entering Sunday. 

All the underlying numbers are good, too, especially those of the power play. At 24.6 percent, it is second in the league, to Philadelphia. The puck movement has been breathtaking at times, in its speed and accuracy. Check out this recent power-play goal by Sam Gagner, for example:

The Jackets have gotten a lot of balanced scoring so far, which makes you believe they could keep this thing going all the way through the playoffs. It's not a one-line team. 

They also have quality depth on defense, an even bigger reason to like them. At 19, rookie Zach Werenski is already looking like a seasoned veteran. He's been terrific at both ends of the ice and a leading contender for the Calder Trophy. Add in Seth Jones and David Savard, both 26 or younger, and you have a lot to like about the Columbus blue line, for now and the future.

Jay LaPrete/Associated Press

Of course, you're not going anywhere without good goaltending, and so far Columbus has gotten a bounce-back season from veteran Sergei Bobrovsky. The former Vezina Trophy winner has a 1.98 goals-against average and .929 saves percentage. If he stays anywhere near those numbers, the Blue Jackets would be awfully tough to beat.

Reason for worry: Do the Jackets have enough talent at center? Right now, young Swede Alexander Wennberg is the No. 1 center, and he's having a good season. He can put points on the board, but he's a pass-first guy who just doesn't score a ton of goals. 

Columbus had a bona fide No. 1 center, Ryan Johansen, but dealt him away last year to Nashville for Jones. Some might argue Columbus should, at some point, deal away some of that depth on the blue line for more of a stud in the pivot. But, for now anyway, it doesn't seem to be an issue. (Johansen, by the way, hasn't exactly set Nashville on fire with his play since going there. In his first 69 games as a Predator, Johansen scored 13 goals).

Bleacher Report odds of winning Cup: 8-1

Edmonton Oilers

Why it could happen: With 90 goals entering Sunday's home contest against Winnipeg, the Oilers were the highest-scoring team in the Western Conference. Connor McDavid, 19, was the leading scorer in the league, with 38 points. 

Is there a law that says a young team with a couple of flaws can't win a Cup? Do the Oilers need to "learn how to win" more? Perhaps, but it says here that any team with a player like McDavid has a shot. He's just so talented, and more important: He makes anyone around him better.

Matt Slocum/Associated Press

The Oilers are just loaded at center, with McDavid, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Leon Draisaitl. They've got a good combination of size and skill on the wings (Milan Lucic, Pat Maroon, Jordan Eberle), and they've got a goalie (Cam Talbot) who is very capable of getting hot in a hurry.

Reason for worry: Keeping the puck out of their net is still a challenge for this team. Edmonton allowed 83 goals in the first 30 games which, while an improvement over last year, is still too high. The Oilers defense still needs help, and that means as a team, not just the six guys on the blue line.

If the Oilers are still in the top eight come trade-deadline time, expect general manager Peter Chiarelli to actively pursue a quality rental on defense. No, Chiarelli shouldn't give up too much in some short-term roll of the dice—this team is still too young and rebuilding for something like that—but if you have a shot, you should take it too, and this team has a shot.

Bleacher Report odds of winning Cup: 18-1

Anaheim Ducks

Why it could happen: It's fashionable to still call this a one-line team, with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry still two-thirds of the Ducks' top trio and still the team's top scorers. But the team's biggest reason for optimism for something great happening next spring is its youth and talent on the fringes, with wingers ranging from Rickard Rakell and Jakob Silfverberg to defenders such as Cam Fowler, Sami Vatanen and Hampus Lindholm.

The third line of Antoine Vermette, Nick Ritchie and Ondrej Kase is a good, hard-working, two-way trio as well.

It's a well-balanced team with a coach, Randy Carlyle, who seems rejuvenated this year and has won a Cup with this franchise before.

Reason for worry: John Gibson is still considered one of the league's better young talents in goal. He's only 23 and has a 47-28-8 career record. He has only played six career playoff games, however, and he's 2-4 in those games, with mediocre saves numbers. He remains unproven as a playoff performer.

Jae C. Hong/Associated Press

It's time to start wondering if Perry and Getzlaf are too much in decline, too, for this team to win it all. Look, both players are still putting up points. Just not at the pace of previous years. Perry only had six goals in his first 29 games. Getzlaf had two in his first 26. They're still getting assists, which is good, and still highly dangerous on the power play.

But let's face it: If they continue at the same scoring pace, they're not going to win any Stanley Cup.

Bleacher Report odds of winning Cup: 12-1

Minnesota Wild

Why it could happen: There's a lot to like with the Wild, starting with the fact that first-year coach Bruce Boudreau has them playing better hockey in the first half of the season than they have in the last few. Too often the previous few years, the Wild had to scramble like mad to win down the stretch just to get into the playoffs. That isn't looking as much like a scenario this time.

Jana Chytilova/Freestyle Photo/Getty Images

Boudreau has Minnesota playing very well defensively, and he's getting great goaltending from Devan Dubnyk. In the playoffs, that's Job 1. Ryan Suter remains a horse, and youngsters Jared Spurgeon and Jonas Brodin have been excellent from the blue line.

Reason for worry: Is there enough offense? If 32-year-old Eric Staal is your leading scorer, as he was entering Sunday with 19 points in 27 games, isn't that a bad sign for the long term? For sure, the Wild need more scoring, especially from guys like Zach Parise (10 points his first 20 games) and Jason Pominville (11 in 27).

Look for Wild GM Chuck Fletcher to add another veteran stick or two at the deadline, assuming his team is still in good playoff position. 

Bleacher Report odds of winning Cup: 14-1

Philadelphia Flyers

Why it could happen: After beating the Red Wings 1-0 in overtime on Sunday, it was nine wins in a row for the Flyers. Suddenly, they are 18-10-3 after a mediocre start. Can it last?

With the kinds of years they're getting from their top forwards, why not? Wayne Simmonds, Jakub Voracek and Claude Giroux have been terrific, and they've all shown in the past they can be consistent all the way through.

Elsa/Getty Images

If Brayden Schenn (20) and Matt Read can chip in even more, assuming the big three keep it going, the Flyers can score with anyone perhaps. Simmonds has emerged as probably the best power forward in the league.

Reason for worry: Yeah, they need to tighten up still defensively. It seems a long shot Philly will be good enough with the current personnel on defense, so perhaps a move or two by the deadline would up the odds a lot more of the first Cup coming to the City of Brotherly Love since 1975.

Steve Mason (.905 saves percentage) will simply have to be better if this truly is going to last. Could Philly look for a goalie at the deadline? It's tough to trade for quality goalies, but on paper it makes some sense to try.

Bleacher Report odds of winning Cup: 18-1

Adrian Dater covers the NHL for Bleacher Report