One reason every NHL team could win the Stanley Cup
Some teams still have a shot. Some … don’t. We look at one reason every team could still win it all.
Heading into February, the NHL standings have solidified enough that we can see which teams are roughly good and which teams are bad. Tampa Bay, again, are the league’s best. A few teams are already rummaging for ping-pong balls in the Jack Hughes lottery.
But this is hockey, and there is still hope for everyone. Any number of playoff outcomes are possible, especially in the tight Atlantic Division, where the Sabres and Canadiens have thrown a wrench into proceedings. The Metro is wild and low-quality.
To reaffirm the hope, and to discuss the chances of the actual contenders, here’s one reason every team could still win the Stanley Cup, even for those whose odds are basically zero:
Ottawa Senators: Mark Stone and Matt Duchene
Stone and Duchene are still playing well for the sad, sad Senators, who have basically no one else playing well. Stone is a Selke Trophy candidate and Duchene leads the Sens in points-per-game. Everyone below the two stars is tanking hard.
Left winger Tom Pyatt, who has played in 37 games while averaging nearly 12 minutes of time on ice, has managed just two assists for the entire season. He’s scored the fewest total points of any NHL forward who has played at least 25 games. Pyatt is a -16 on the year.
Stone and Duchene are virtually working by themselves.
Philadelphia Flyers: Claude Giroux
Giroux is 25th in the league with 48 points in 45 games, one of the few remaining bright spots for a Flyers team languishing at the bottom of the Metropolitan Division. Philly could trade longtime forward Wayne Simmonds to a contender at some point.
The Flyers’ goaltending is holding them back. They’ve tried seven (7!) goalies this season and none have been even close to capable. Calvin Pickard has played 11 games has a save percentage of .863, an absolutely dreadful number.
There four goalies in the NHL this season who have played seven more and games and have a save percentage of .880 or below. Three play for the Flyers.
New York Rangers: Assorted NHL-level players
Some bad teams have a couple of good players (like Ottawa) and a bunch more terrible players. Others have a bunch of actual players who are capable of sticking around in the NHL, but few actual stars. The Rangers are an example of the latter.
Given that New York are more than 10 points out of a playoff spot and have avowed themselves to rebuilding, they can be expected to sell at the deadline. Any playoff team looking for middle or bottom six depth can throw trade offers at the Rangers for Mats Zuccarello, Chris Kreider, Jesper Fast or even Mika Zibanejad.
Some players won’t be fetching trade offers; Cody Mcleod is taking an absurd amount of penalties and isn’t exactly the most desirable forward on the market. But New York have real, live NHL players, which can’t be said for everybody.
Anaheim Ducks: John Gibson
Anaheim fell on their collective face in December and January, losing 10-plus straight and at one point flopping 7-4 at home against the Penguins, blowing a 3-0 lead in the process. Randy Carlisle’s seat is hot.
Their Vezina-contending goaltender John Gibson is the only thing holding this team together. Gibson’s save percentage of .920 is high despite his facing a disproportionate number of quality shots. The days of Corey Perry and Ryan Getzlaf leading the Ducks to consistent success appear to be over. At least their goaltending future is bright.
Tampa Bay Lightning: They’re the best team in the league!
Tampa are far ahead of every team in the league. They hold a convincing lead atop the Atlantic Division, which has an argument for being the toughest in the NHL, and they’re scoring goals at a blistering rate.
Nikita Kucherov is a contender for the Hart Trophy again, Steven Stamkos is doing everything that Steven Stamkos usually does, and Victor Hedman is sticking around the Norris Trophy race. Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy returned from injury a few weeks ago and has maintained his pace.