It’s the most wonderful time of the year for NHL fans.
The Stanley Cup Playoffs are upon us, which means two months of wall-to-wall, high-intensity hockey. Three-on-three overtime and shootouts are gone, so some marathon multi-OT games will decide who advances.
The stakes are especially high for teams that have never won a Stanley Cup.
The NHL Playoffs are hockey’s version of the Super Bowl or March Madness, and there are plenty of wagers available, ranging from a single-game bet to a futures wager on which team will lift the cup.
Those interested in upping the ante can also fill out a Stanley Cup Playoff bracket.
With all that in mind, we put together a Stanley Cup playoff guide that breaks down what you need to know about each remaining team in this year’s field.
Odds from FanDuel Sportsbook and are subject to change.
Favorites
Florida Panthers
- Stanley Cup Odds: +220
- Strengths: Possession, goal suppression, depth scoring, playoff experience
- Weaknesses: Goaltending
- The Skinny: A season after running to the Stanley Cup Final, Florida again looks formidable after rallying to win the Atlantic Division.
There’s some uncertainty that comes with Sergey Bobrovsky being in net since he’s been known to blow up in the playoffs (29-35, 3.03 GAA, .905 sv%).
But if Bobrovsky plays the part — which he did during the regular season — the Panthers have all the pieces needed to win the trophy.
Dallas Stars
- Stanley Cup Odds: +200
- Strengths: Defense, depth scoring, 5-on-5 play, playoff experience
- Weaknesses: Goaltending, winning in regulation
- The Skinny: The Stars are like the Western Conference’s version of the Hurricanes: A dominant defensive club that is annually in the mix but hasn’t gotten over the hump.
The Stars have dominant underlying metrics and an embarrassment of offensive depth. Dallas had eight players score at least 21 goals (led by Wyatt Johnston’s 32) and nine players who surpassed the 50-point mark.
But is Jake Oettinger ready to play like an elite goalie? Dallas was 19th in the NHL in 5-on-5 save percentage (.911) — behind Columbus, Arizona and Seattle — and Oettinger finished 63rd in 5-on-5 Goals-Saved Above Average (minus-8.03) among goalies with at least 10 appearances.
Oettinger nearly stole a playoff series for Dallas against Calgary in 2022, so he’s capable of turning it on. If he does, Dallas will be tough to beat.
Contenders
New York Rangers
- Stanley Cup Odds: +310
- Strengths: Star power, special teams, defense
- Weaknesses: 5-on-5 play, winning in regulation
- The Skinny: The Rangers are having a magical season, as they rode Artemi Panarin’s 49-goal season to their first Presidents’ Trophy since 2015.
It’s the 30th anniversary of New York’s last Stanley Cup win, so Rangers fans are understandably giddy at their team’s chances. But there’s also reason to pause before betting the mortgage on the Rangers.
New York has the third-worst 5-on-5 goal differential (+1) of any playoff team — ahead of just Tampa Bay and Washington, its first-round opponent. The Rangers were third in both power-play percentage (26.4) and PK success rate (84.5), but their power play has been historically known to fall short this time of the year.
Edmonton Oilers
- Stanley Cup Odds: +500
- Strengths: High-end skill, possession, offense, power play
- Weaknesses: Goaltending, penalty kill
- The Skinny: Edmonton went from also-ran to Cup contender, and all it took was Kris Knoblauch behind the bench. Edmonton is 46-17-5 since Knoblauch took over for Jay Woodcroft in mid-November, and finished second in its division for the fifth straight year.
There’s reason to believe this is Edmonton’s year, since Connor McDavid had a historic season and Mattias Ekholm and Evan Bouchard have shored up the club’s previously suspect blue line. And, unlike past years where Edmonton got fat on its star-laden power play, the Oilers were awesome at 5-on-5 this season, boasting the top Expected Goals percentage at 5-on-5 (56.94) in the NHL.
But the obvious concern will be in goal. While Stuart Skinner (.907 sv%, 2.57 GAA, 5.37 GSAA) played well this season, he struggled in the playoffs last season, going 5-6 with a 3.68 GAA and .883 save%.
Sleepers
Vancouver Canucks
- Stanley Cup Odds: +1600
- Strengths: Goaltending, defense, high-end skill, winning at home
- Weaknesses: Playoff experience, penalty killing
- The Skinny: Vancouver finally put it all together this season under coach Rick Tocchet, finishing with its most points since it won the Presidents’ Trophy in 2012.
If Thatcher Demko is healthy, Vancouver is a bona fide Cup contender. Quinn Hughes is almost certainly going to win the Norris Trophy; Brock Boeser finally realized his potential and hit 40 goals, J.T. Miller surpassed the 100-point mark for the first time in his career, and neither plays on the top line with superstar center Elias Pettersson.
Vancouver’s lack of playoff experience is concerning, though “Playoff Demko” is a thing thanks to his otherworldly performance in the bubble in 2020. But if Demko is still banged up — he missed about two months with a sprained knee — then Vancouver could be in trouble.
Photo by Jeff Vinnick/NHLI via Getty Images
