NHL Eastern Conference: Why your favorite team will win the Stanley Cup
There hasn't been a Stanley Cup winner from the Eastern Conference since the Boston Bruins in 2011. Will that change in 2015-16?
A clean slate at the start of a new season provides optimism for every team: A look at the Eastern Conference teams' reasons for hope in ending the drought.
Disclaimer: This is not to say that each item is created equal, or that each one is the only component to a deep run. This list does not account for injuries, which could cripple even the strongest teams. These are simply plausible reasons why your favorite team could be playing late into the season.
Boston Bruins: Four foundation blocks. Boston fans can moan about the loss of Dougie Hamilton and Milan Lucic, but that doesn’t change the reality that the Bruins have a first-rate center combination in David Krejci and Patrice Bergeron, a former Norris Trophy winner Zdeno Chara on defense and in elite goalie in Tuukka Rask. If you presume that coach Claude Julien will insist the Bruins play stingy team defense and hope that David Pastrnak blossoms into a 20-goal scorer, you can make a case that the Bruins are still a contender. (Kevin Allen)
Buffalo Sabres: Timing could be right for Cinderella remake. Unquestionably, the Sabres are going to be the most improved team next season. Their forward group will include Evander Kane, Ryan O'Reilly, Tyler Ennis, Matt Moulson, Brian Gionta, plus super rookie Jack Eichel and prized prospect Sam Reinhart. The defense will be significantly improved, and the Sabres are also courting free agent defenseman Cody Franson. Remember that the 1990-91 Minnesota North Stars once stunned the hockey world by reaching the Stanley Cup Final with a losing record. The NHL is overdue for a Cinderella playoff story. (KA)
Carolina Hurricanes: Eric Staal's finish to 2014-15. A lot needs to go right for this team, but the first step must be Staal returning as one of the best power forwards in the East. As Puck Daddy’s Ryan Lambert noted, Staal salvaged a poor season (54 points) in the second half once his brother Jordan returned the lineup. That provides optimism that the production is still there. At 30, it's not like Staal is an old player. (Jimmy Hascup)
Columbus Blue Jackets: Healthy Ryan Murray. You have to squint real hard to see this defense as championship-caliber, and it starts with a lack of a No. 1. At 21 and coming off an injury-riddled season, Murray can allay those doubts and ascend into the top-pair role he was destined to fill when he was drafted. He could be the two-way workhorse Jack Johnson pretends to be. He has shown this in flashes. (JH)
Detroit Red Wings: More dangerous than you think. Statistics don’t lie, and the advanced stats say the Red Wings were among the NHL’s best puck possession teams last season. Don’t forget that the Lightning needed seven games to take down the Red Wings in last spring’s playoffs. Detroit will be a top-10 scoring team, a top power play team and its defensive play could be sounder. Remember how well the team played defensively at the start of last season? It wasn’t unthinkable that Detroit could have reached the Stanley Cup Final last season, and it's not unthinkable now. (KA)
Florida Panthers: Long-shot worth watching. The Panthers played like a playoff team after they acquired Jaromir Jagr last season. They were 12-7-2 down the stretch and carry overflowing optimism heading into the 2015-16 season. The younger players will drive this team. Full service defenseman Aaron Ekblad is to the Panthers what Denis Potvin was to the New York Islanders in the 1980s. Nick Bjugstad, Jonathan Huberdeau, Brandon Pirri and Aleksander Barkov combined for 77 goals last season, and they could combine for 100 to 110 this season. (KA)
Montreal Canadiens: Price is right. Goalie Carey Price was judged to be the best player in the NHL last season, and as long as he is on the roster the Canadiens have a chance to win their first Stanley Cup since 1993. In theory, Price’s presence in net makes the Habs the favorite going into every game. You know Montreal will have one of the NHL’s lowest goals-against average. It would certainly bolster Montreal’s Cup chances this season if Alexander Semin could return to the ranks of 20-25 goal scorer and Alex Galchenyuk could take another step in his develop as an offensive difference-maker. (KA)
New Jersey Devils: Strong back end. The Devils not only boast an elite goalie in Cory Schneider, they also possess one of the most underrated defensive groups in the league. The defense, full of youth and offensive thinkers, will power this team. Add in new coach John Hynes, who can't do any worse in squeezing offense out of a lackluster forward group, and the Devils could be sneaky good. (JH)
New York Islanders: Untapped potential. A 100-plus-point season repeat (and then some) is not out of the question for the Islanders. Why? There's a strong case to be made that we have not seen the best hockey from a third of their roster, including John Tavares, Anders Lee, Ryan Strome, Brock Nelson and Nick Leddy. That upside, along with the Islanders' depth, makes them legitimate East contenders. (JH)
New York Rangers: Pick your poison. The strength of this team is in its depth and versatility among forward lines and defense pairs. Nine players could record at least 40 points this season, and coach Alain Vigneault can spread the ice time because of four-line balance. Each line can make opponents pay in a different way. There is a nice variety of styles in the defense, too, which helps in situational matchups. (JH)
Ottawa Senators: Improved defense could make them contenders. If the Senators could play defensively as sharp as they did in 2012-13 when they ranked second in the NHL in goals-against average, they could be a Stanley Cup contender this season. They would also need Erik Karlsson to have another Norris Trophy-caliber season. Don’t forget that the Senators ranked among the NHL’s top 10 teams in scoring last season. (KA)
Pittsburgh Penguins: Well-rounded forward corps. It's easy to say the Phil Kessel-Sidney Crosby connection will be a major key, but the difference this year will be the team's forward depth, especially the bottom-six, which has been lacking in recent seasons. The depth here will be important in order to take the pressure off of a defense -- which includes Kris Letang and two highly-regarded young players in Olli Maatta and Derrick Pouliot -- that could be underwhelming at times. (JH)
Philadelphia Flyers: Hidden gems on defense? This one's a tough one in that the offense might have more potential but the blue line could be what decides their season. The defense contains an interesting collection but nothing amazing. The Flyers need some breakout performances. Could Michael Del Zotto steady his game into a prominent role and thus one of the game's better offensive blueliners? Could Evgeny Medvedev prove that $3 was a bargain for his services? (JH)
Tampa Bay Lightning: Team to beat. The Lightning were only two wins short of winning the Stanley Cup last season, and they learned plenty about themselves in their failed quest. It’s not hard to envision the Lightning following the script of the Penguins, who lost the Stanley Cup Final in 2008 and then won the championship in 2009. The Lightning have the NHL’s most dangerous offense, and their goaltending and defense could be more effective because of the confidence gained last season. The Lightning have the most well-rounded team. (KA)
Toronto Maple Leafs: What if Babcock makes them better than they are? Coach Mike Babcock is known for his ability to make his teams competitive regardless of his talent base. What if his presence pours confidence into the Maple Leafs the way Patrick Roy did for the Avalanche two seasons ago? Could Babcock's command spur Nazem Kadri into a breakthrough season and help Dion Phaneuf return into a confident, monstrous force? If the Maple Leafs could sneak into the playoffs, anything would be possible. (KA)
Washington Capitals: Right mix. It's easy to like what the Capitals have built. They have stars -- Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom. They have the emerging stars -- Braden Holtby and John Carlson. They have an excellent supporting cast led by T.J. Oshie, Justin Williams and Matt Niskanen. And they have players headlining the next wave in Evgeny Kuznetsov and Andre Burakovsky. They were also a strong possession team last year, and finished top-seven in offense and defense. (JH)
PHOTOS: Players changing teams in 2015-16
