Top 8 PlayOff Team?

[brentashton]

Hockey media often talks about the elite 6 that will make a hard run for the Stanley Cup. As we all know, 16 teams make the post season, regardless of current standing, who do you think are the Top 8 contenders for the Cup after yesterday‘s trades? Are the Oilers in the top 8?

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[Duder54]

In my eyes, in no particular order:
- Florida
- Tampa Bay
- Carolina
- Colorado
- Calgary
- Minnesota
- Washington
- New York

I’d be fine with swapping out NYR and Washington for others like Pittsburgh or Boston. The other six seem like the tops dogs to me though.

 

[SupremeTeam16]

In my eyes, in no particular order:
- Florida
- Tampa Bay
- Carolina
- Colorado
- Calgary
- Minnesota
- Washington
- New York

I’d be fine with swapping out NYR and Washington for others like Pittsburgh or Boston. The other six seem like the tops dogs to me though.

Which team from the East do you see crossing over to play in the west semi finals?

 

[Aerchon]

There are 3 elite teams this year: Carolina, Florida, and Colorado. I suspect a Caroline cup over Colorado in the finals. These 3 teams are just considerably better than all the rest. Tier one.

Tier 2 Cup contenders: Calgary, TB, Vegas (once "healthy"), Pitts, Washington, NYR.

Tier 3 Is basically everyone else who makes it in not in the Pacific/West wild card.

Tier 4 West wild card and last 2 spots of the Pacific. Other than Vegas who instantly doubles their cap hit the moment the playoffs start. Bullshit league.

 

[McCombo]

Colorado

Florida

Tampa Bay
Calgary
Carolina
Toronto
Boston

Pittsburgh


Colorado has the best team and since the west is considerably weaker, they are by far the biggest favourites. For the same reason Calgary has a higher chance to win the Cup than everyone from that big pack. The path to SC for a team like Tampa Bay is as crueling as it can be. One possible scenario could look something like this:

1st round Toronto or Boston
2nd round Florida
Conference Finals Carolina
SC Final Colorado

Every series from 1st to 3rd would be fairly close. Underdog in finals.

Colorado could be looking at something like this:

1st round LA or Dallas
2nd round Minnesota or Nashville
Conference Finals Calgary
SC Finals Florida

Colorado would be massive favourites in 1st and 2nd round. Little tighter one with Calgary and favourites in final. If Colorado would win first two serieses in 4 or 5 games it would be a massive edge, when the east most likely is a blood path.

 

[ManofSteel55]

My top 8 would be:
- Florida
- Tampa Bay
- Carolina
- Colorado
- Calgary
- Minnesota
- Pittsburgh
- New York

Of that 8, I think there is a clear top 5 (Florida through Calgary on my list), and there might be some wiggle room for the other three with St. Louis, Washington, Boston, and Edmonton. I think our consistency issues and streaky goaltending keeps us out of that top 8, but I also think that unlike some teams we have the potential to get hot and compete with the teams above us.

 

[nexttothemoon]

1 Avalanche
2 Golden Knights
3 Bruins
4 Lightning
5 Oilers
6 Panthers
7 Maple Leafs
8 Rangers


Still have to digest some of the deadline deals though and see if that's shifted the orders around slightly. Of course injuries will have an impact as well going into the playoffs which is always a big wildcard variable.

 

[bone]

I think Elite 6 is most fitting here instead of 8. Particularly since the East is so top heavy this year that really any of the top teams could also be out of the first round. Frankly there's 7 teams in the East that I think could go all the way, and 4 of them have in the last 5 years with most of the same key pieces in tact, and 2 more may be even better than any of those 4.

I went with
Florida
Tampa
Carolina
Pittsburgh
New York
Colorado

If I had to include a 7th, Calgary would get in by default as having 6 or 7 Elite all in the same Conference seems silly. But I also think they are just as likely to be knocked out by Dallas in the first round as going on a deep run. They haven't had a single bit of adversity all season and could wilt as soon as some hits.