After the last trades - which team is favourite to win Stanley Cup

[Matty Sundin]

Who knows. The favorites almost always never live up. I do think Dallas has been a sleeper favorite all season though.

 

[avsfan9]

Vegas. Yes they look off right now, but all it takes is to get to the playoffs and then they have to play hard.

You mean they get all their good players back off Ltir. Right.

 

[HFpapi]

For me, Dallas is the best/deepest/most well balanced team in the league.

That said, the west will be a bloodbath with Oilers, Knights, Avs, etc to get through. The Panthers have an easier path to the finals and for that reason their chances are better.

 

[Ignatius]

If Bob is reliable I don't see how Florida is not the team to be this year.

 

[MVP of West Hollywd]

My pick - Colorado Avalanche. This is a very talented core, enough to be a 2 Cup team. I’ll take that happening over the other options.

 

[Kiorei]

As much as I want it to be Dallas, I'm starting to think it will be Carolina that surprises a lot of people. They always seem to be that close and now they have a proven playoff warrior. Or it could be someone no one even thinks that barely makes it in and gets hot. Hard to predict.

 

[SimpleJack]

These results so far tell the truth. The VGK, Avs, and Panthers are a tier above the rest.

 

[Bounces R Way]

Colorado
Florida
Vegas
Carolina
Dallas

New York(Rangers)
Boston
Winnipeg
Vancouver
Edmonton
New York(Islanders)
Toronto

I am really not sure what to make of my Bruins. On paper they're not much to look at but they get contributions up and down the lineup. Two strong goaltenders. Wouldn't want to face them in the 1st round, that's for sure.

 

[BB79]

The West looks like an absolute bloodbath while Florida looks the most likely to get to the conference final in the East, so... them.

Oh, how I'm hoping of a repeat of last year when the top seed chokes in the first round. That would be great as long as it isn't TB beating them.

The metropolitan division is abysmal, which is really the only reason the west looks more difficult. Even still the east has 3 teams over 90 points before the west does. The west also has league worst SJ on top of sub-50 point Anaheim and Chicago to exploit. So ehh, not buying the "west is leaps and bounds better" narrative. I think it's pretty even. Even some of the teams mirror each other. EDM is the west's Toronto, LA is the west's Flyers.

 

[DaveG]

Oh, how I'm hoping of a repeat of last year when the top seed chokes in the first round. That would be great as long as it isn't TB beating them.

The metropolitan division is abysmal, which is really the only reason the west looks more difficult. Even still the east has 3 teams over 90 points before the west does. The west also has league worst SJ on top of sub-50 point Anaheim and Chicago to exploit. So ehh, not buying the "west is leaps and bounds better" narrative. I think it's pretty even. Even some of the teams mirror each other. EDM is the west's Toronto, LA is the west's Flyers.

The Metro's down cycle has been a few years coming, though I didn't expect it to hit so fast.

 

[Winger74]

The beauty of a theory is that it usually doesn't work, but OK, some prediction:
Colorado, Vegas, Florida - clear favorites

Edmonton, Dallas, Carolina

NYR, Boston, WPG, Vancouve