With the 2022/23 NHL regular season now reaching its conclusion, fans of the hockey scene are already pondering as to which teams are likely to mount a challenge towards a place in the Stanley Cup Finals which could include some of the league’s most respected and historical organizations.
The Stanley Cup is one of the sporting world’s most illustrious and highly beloved titles due to its prestigious meaning and its unique appearance which ranks this as a truly spectacular prize for any hockey star to gain.
At the conclusion of the NHL regular season and playoff brackets, the best side from both the Eastern and Western Conference will square off in a seven-game series to decide who walks away with the greatest prize available in all of ice hockey.
Last year’s final saw the top seeded Colorado Avalanche defeat the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games to claim their third Stanley Cup title in franchise history after an enthralling series against one of the game’s most successful teams of the modern era.
The 2022/23 postseason is already shaping up to be an unmissable event with this list featuring all the most heavily favorited teams who are likely to make a push towards a championship ring at the climax of an enticing NHL season, with fans now being able to place their bets into play with some of the latest Stanley Cup odds presented on the DraftKings sportsbook:
- Boston Bruins:
It has been a rather substantial few years for the province of New England when discussing their recent successful campaigns across the sporting world.
The Celtics made a tremendous trip to the NBA Finals last year and could be expected to compete for a championship for a prolonged period of play, the Patriots have dominated over the NFL scene for the past two decades and the Red Sox have won two World Series titles in 2013 and 2018 respectfully.
However, it seems likely that the Bruins could enter their own period of success as they look to claim their seventh Stanley Cup winning campaign after what has been another impressive regular season for results.
The Bruins are currently enjoying a tremendous regular season as they sit atop the Eastern Conference with a near +120 goal difference which has many bookmakers already proclaiming that the Bruins are the quintessential favorite to challenge for a spot in the Stanley Cup finals later this year.
- Carolina Hurricanes:
Despite only bolstering one current All-Star on their active roster, with that being Right Winger Andrei Svechnikov, the Hurricanes are expected to emerge as major contenders for a place in the Stanley Cup finals later this season.
With a narrow lead over the New Jersey Devils atop the Metropolitan Division and the second seed in the Eastern Conference, the Hurricanes are set to claim their third division title in the past three seasons are still searching for their first trip back to the Stanley Cup series since their fabled 2005/06 season which is still the only campaign in franchise history that saw the Hurricanes claim a ring.
Head Coach Rod Brind ’Amour was a part of that 2006 Carolina roster and has since helped the team reach a great amount of success and a recent resurgence, which could captivate the fans of the tremendous sporting state of North Carolina to once again believe that a Stanley Cup could be returning back home.
- Vegas Golden Knights:
The Knights are one of the league’s newest teams after entering into the NHL back in 2017, yet the sin city natives have already enjoyed a welcoming amount of success during their first few years of operation in the ice hockey genre.
After winning the Western conference in their first season as an expansion team, the Knights have also claimed Divisional success in the 2019/20 season with this current campaign also heightening their chances of earning another trip back to the finals to claim the Stanley Cup that had previously eluded them in 2018.
The Knights are easily recognizable for their wide array of talent, with arguably their best player being goaltender Logan Thompson who has enjoyed an outstanding season with a save percentage that is now upwards of 91%, which is a considerable feat given that Thompson was previously undrafted when entering into the league back in 2020.
Alongside some of these notable contenders, there are several other teams that could be more than likely to stage a strong push towards the Stanley Cup finals.
These teams include the Los Angeles Kings, New Jersey Devils, Toronto Maple Leafs, Dallas Stars, Minnesota Wild and finally the New York Rangers.
Fans of the hockey scene will now aim to wait in anticipation surrounding the opening few series of the prestigious NHL playoff picture, that is sure to bring about several impressive encounters which will continue to leave fans guessing as to who they truly believe will win this year’s Stanley Cup.
