As we edge closer to the climax of the 2023-24 NHL season, the race for the Stanley Cup intensifies, with a few teams emerging as frontrunners. Throughout the course of the regular season, plenty of stories have come forth. For Canadians, the continued plight of Montreal remains a hot topic, with the most successful team in the history of the sport finishing rock bottom of the Atlantic Division for the third straight season.
However, it wasn’t all bad for Great White North hockey fans. Four of the county’s seven franchises have qualified for the postseason this term, with only the aforementioned Canadiens, the Ottawa Senators, and the Calgary Flames missing out. Whether they can somehow end Canada’s mighty 31-year Stanley Cup drought remains to be seen, however.
If there is one Canadian outfit that has the best chance of ending that barren spell, it is the Edmonton Oilers. They have had the best player in the world – the incomparable Connor McDavid – in their ranks for the better part of a decade now, but they haven’t been able to provide him with the adequate support required for a championship-winning run. This season, however, that has all changed, and the Alberta outfit has been made a joint +650 favourite by NHL futures providers to lift the famous giant trophy this term.
And it is at Rogers Place where we start. Here are the three frontrunners to lift the Stanley Cup this term.
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers have had a remarkable season, boasting a record of 49-26-6 and securing an impressive 104 points in the process, good enough for second place in the Pacific Division. Despite their rag as joint favourites, they were still unable to usurp their compatriot Vancouver Canucks at their division’s summit and as such, one may have thought that it would be the British Colombia outfit at the top of the bookies’ odds lists. But alas, they are way out at +1400, surprisingly the seventh-longest odds of all the playoff-qualified teams.
The success of the Oilers can be attributed to their dynamic offence and their never-say-die attitude. 16 of their games have gone to overtime this term and they have won ten of them, showing resilience that can only serve them well in the cutthroat nature of the playoffs. One cannot discuss their success without mentioning their captain and talisman, Connor McDavid, who has continued to redefine what it means to be considered the GOAT. He has racked up a whopping 132 points this term, third most in the entire league, behind Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov and Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon.
In years gone by, McJesus hasn’t had the required support to lead his side to a championship. That has all changed this season, however, as Leon Draisaitl has been instrumental alongside him, racking up 106 points and forming one of the most lethal duos in the league. The duo’s brilliance was on full display in a dominant 9-2 victory against the San Jose Sharks, and they will be ready to carry that form into the first round of the playoffs against either the reigning champion Vegas Golden Knights or the Los Angeles Kings.
Colorado Avalanche
In recent years, the Avalanche have been one of the true powerhouses in the NHL. Prior to this season, they topped the stacked Central Division for three straight years, culminating with the Stanley Cup in 2022. This term, they have dropped down to third in their division but the bookies still consider them one of the favourites for glory. They have once again combined a high-flying offence with solid defence.
The aforementioned Nathan MacKinnon has been at the forefront and in blistering form, resulting in a plethora of personal accolades. However, he would trade all of them for another Stanley Cup run. He has found support in the form of Finnish star Mikko Rantanen, who has complemented him perfectly, while goaltender Darcy Kuemper has been in stellar form, making crucial saves in clutch moments.
Florida Panthers
Last season, the Florida Panthers were the dark horses in the playoffs. They squeezed into the postseason, but once they had a foot in the door, they proceeded to upset the establishment. They eliminated a Boston Bruins side that had won the President’s Trophy in record-breaking fashion in the first round and from there, they never looked back. They went on to reach the Stanley Cup finals for just the second time in franchise history, but unfortunately for them, the Vegas Golden Knights were too hot to handle.
This season, the Floridians have continued in a similar vein. They topped the Atlantic Division against their heavyweight TD Garden rivals for the second time in three seasons and they are primed and ready for another all-out assault on the championship. Jonathan Huberdeau has led from the front, amassing points and setting up crucial plays. Aleksander Barkov has continued to impress with his two-way play, epitomizing the perfect blend of offence and defence that one needs to have in the unpredictable postseason.
