NHL Playoff Preview: Ranking Teams From Least-to-Most Likely to win Stanley Cup

by Eric Fulton
The Stanley Cup Playoffs is one of the greatest tournaments in all of sports. 16 teams. 4 rounds. Every series has a potential of seven games. Hockey in springtime going to summertime seems crazy, but when it is for one sports’ ultimate prizes, anything can happen and expect the unexpected.

I will rank the 16 teams vying for the Stanley Cup beginning on Wednesday from who has the least chance to the best chance to win this year’s Stanley Cup.


16. Columbus Blue Jackets
The Blue Jackets were the last team to clinch a Stanley Cup berth. This is the third straight year they have made the playoffs. I do love the acquisition of Matt Duchene at the trade deadline, and while they do have talent like Duchene and Seth Jones, I don’t see them as a threat in the first round against the best team in the league, the Tampa Bay Lightning.

15.  Carolina Hurricanes
The Hurricanes ended the longest playoff drought coming into the season making the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in 10 years. They have been known as a “Bunch of Jerks” by one hockey analyst, but this team has rallied around that to produce the best turnaround in the league this season. Coach Rod Brind’Armour, who was a captain on Carolina’s only Stanley Cup champion (2006), should be a major candidate for the Jack Adams Award (Coach of the Year).  The Hurricanes will have a tough go around against the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Washington Capitals. While I do think Carolina will give Washington a fight, the Capitals have too much fire power for the Canes to overcome.

14. Colorado Avalanche
The Avalanche return back to the playoffs for the second year in a row grabbing the final wild card spot in the Western Conference. Colorado is led by Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog who are the top scorers on the team. Tyson Barrie and Erik Johnson are both defensemen who can score. But I don’t see them past the first round taking on a very good Calgary Flames who won the regular season in the Western Conference.

13.  Dallas Stars
Dallas returns to the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since 2016. They have great offensive talent led by Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin and Alexander Radulov. Ben Bishop had an excellent season in goalie, but if he gets hurt at some point, it will be hard to be moving on to the next rounds without him. Plus with a first year head coach, while they have the talent to play deep, it won’t be easy, especially when its first round opponent is the Nashville Predators.

12.  St. Louis Blues
The Blues had an amazing turnaround to make the playoffs after a slow start early in the regular season. It is another great offensive team led by Ryan O’Reilly and Vladamir Tarasenko. They will start a rookie goaltender in Jordan Binnington, who will receive votes for the Calder Trophy (Rookie of the Year). With a young goalie, the pressure will be really high. I don’t see them winning a Cup this year, but they will be a tough out.

11. Toronto Maple Leafs
The Maple Leafs have not won the Stanley Cup since 1967. Going into the season, many experts had picked them to reach the Stanley Cup Final. Auston Matthews and John Tavares are the franchise players. However, the biggest question is their defense and goaltending. Toronto may have to win 8-5, 7-6 games to win series, otherwise the championship drought will continue.

10. San Jose Sharks
San Jose has been one of the most consistent teams making the Stanley Cup playoffs in the post-strike era. Although they have made one Stanley Cup Final appearance during that run, this team is capable of winning the Stanley Cup, although their stars of Joe Pavelski, Logan Coture, Brent Burns and Joe Thornton are getting older. How long will this group last? The West is the stronger of the two conferences so it won’t be easy for them. Goaltending has let them down in recent weeks and it needs to pick up in order to have a successful run.

9.  New York Islanders
The departure of a franchise player like John Tavares could cripple any team, but gaining a Stanley Cup champion head coach can really make things better. Barry Trotz has brought a championship pedigree to Long Island. Goalies Robin Lehner and Thomas Griess have been the main reason New York has home ice advantage in the first round.  It could be a very interesting second round matchup between Trotz’s current team and the team he won the Stanley Cup with last year in the Washington Capitals.

8. Calgary Flames
This is potentially way too low for a team that won the regular season championship in the Western Conference, but giving that some of the teams are back and look as strong as they have been all year going into the playoffs, the Flames are probably right where they should be. Captain Mark Giordano is a Norris Trophy Favorite (Best Defensive Player) and Johnny Gadreau is one of the best American-born players in the NHL. Goaltending will be key for them in the playoffs and that could lead to their early exit if things don’t go their way.

7. Winnipeg Jets
Winnipeg had an excellent run that ended in the Western Conference finals last year. For them to possibly reach the Final, Connor Hellebuyck would have to be stellar in goal. Winnipeg does have a ton of fire power led by Blake Wheeler, Patrik Laine, Mark Scheifele and Dustin Byfuglien.

6. Pittsburgh Penguins
The Penguins have been the consistent model franchise in the NHL for 15 years. They have been in the playoffs for the 13th straight year with great talent led by Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Phil Kessel. Matt Murray has been excellent in goal. If Pittsburgh doesn’t make it to at least the conference final, is the run of success they’ve had with this group over?

5. Vegas Golden Knights
Vegas had a Cinderella run to the Stanley Cup Final last year in their inaugural season. Now they are going to repeat the same road. They proved they were not afraid last year thanks to goalie Marc-Andre Fluery. Mark Stone came in via trade and could help the Golden Knights reach hockey’s ultimate prize in just their second year.

4. Washington Capitals
The defending Stanley Cup champions look to repeat, but will have to do it with a new coach. Alex Ovechkin is coming off another 50-goal regular season, and with guys like T.J. Oshie, Nicklas Backstrom and John Carlson, the Capitals have the ability to repeat. Look for Brayden Holtby to give them excellent goaltending in the net.

3.  Boston Bruins
The Bruins went 19 games at one point this season gaining at least one point in the standings. I do look for them to score a ton of goals with a great offense featuring Brad Marchand (tied for 5th in scoring with 100 points), Patrice Bergeron, David Pastanak and David Krejci. Tuukka Rask and Jaroslav Halak will probably share goaltending duties, but they can still make a deep run in the playoffs.

2. Nashville Predators  
Nashville won the Central Division in dramatic fashion. They added more serious depth at the trade deadline by adding Brian Boyle, Wayne Simmonds and Mikael Granlund. Pekka Rinne is definitely one of the top three goaltenders in the playoffs. The Predators are on a mission to win the whole thing after making the final two years ago and losing in the second round last year.

1. Tampa Bay Lightning
The Lightning tied an NHL mark for most wins in a season (62). They have one of the best offenses in all time led by Art Ross Trophy winner Nikita Kucherov to go along with Steven Stamkos. Victor Hedman is a solid defender and scorer who should be a Norris Trophy candidate. Andrei Vasilevskiy is one of the best goaltenders in the NHL. Tampa Bay is looking to become the first team since the 2013 Chicago Blackhawks to win the President’s Trophy and then the Stanley Cup. Four out of the last five years, a President’s Trophy champion has gone out in the second round. If the Lightning do win it all, they will become of the greatest teams of all time.

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