5 under the radar teams poised to make a run at the Stanley Cup

Anaheim Ducks

The Ducks had plenty of expectations after last year’s run to the Western Conference finals, and yet another deep run was expected from this group early on. However, Anaheim fell apart right out of the gate with injuries to practically every single top-six player and top-paring defenseman. Even goalie John Gibson went down at some points in the season. Now, however, this team is healthy and dangerous — and everyone seems to have forgotten just how good the Ducks really are.

Currently, the Ducks sit outside the playoffs at fourth in the Pacific division with 82 points, three points behind the San Jose Sharks and tied with the Los Angeles Kings.

When healthy, the Ducks are one of the overall deepest teams in the league. The arguable worst player in their top nine is Nick Ritchie, who has 22 points this season, respectively. They have hardly any weaknesses up front. They’ve got speed players, playmakers, pure goal scorers and power forwards, and thats just on the offensive side. The defense has exactly what you’d hope for in a Cup-contending team with no foreseeable weaknesses in the top four and a decent third paring that doesn’t drag the team down.

With the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds in the Pacific Division in limbo, it’s a toss-up who the Ducks could see in the first round, but it’s looking as though it will be one of their favorite neighbors in the San Jose Sharks or Los Angeles Kings. Anaheim has had to fight and claw it way back into a playoff position after recovering from its injuries and will have to fight tooth and nail in the battle for second in the Pacific. There is no reason they shouldn’t already be in a playoff mindset by the time Apr. 11 rolls around.