Can the Avalanche repeat as Stanley Cup champions? Will the Lightning return to the Cup Final for the fourth straight season? Or is it the Hurricanes’ time?
After kicking off The Athletic NHL staff’s season predictions Saturday with individual awards — plus the big Patrick Kane question — today we look at team expectations. Who makes the playoffs? Who are the potential dark horses? Which fan base is bound for disappointment?
To pick apart the results of our polling, provide context and give us a healthy critique, we again have senior national writer Sean Gentille, analytics guru Shayna Goldman and NHL betting expert Jesse Granger.
Who will win the Stanley Cup?
Granger: If you agree with 28.2 percent of our voters (including me) that the Hurricanes are going to win the Stanley Cup, there’s plenty of value to be had at the sportsbooks. Carolina has the fourth-best odds to win it all, at 10-to-1, behind Colorado, Toronto and Florida. The fact that there are two teams above them in the East alone suggests an incredibly tough road to the final, but I love the additions the Hurricanes made this summer to an already strong squad.