Fansided

One reason every NHL team could win the Stanley Cup

By Harrison Hamm

SAN JOSE, CA - APRIL 30: Dylan DeMelo #74, Brent Burns #88, Logan Couture #39, Joe Pavelski #8 and Evander Kane #9 celebrate Kane's third period goal in Game Three of the Western Conference Second Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at SAP Center on April 30, 2018 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Don Smith/NHLI via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Dylan DeMelo;Brent Burns;Logan Couture;Joe Pavelski;Evander Kane
SAN JOSE, CA - APRIL 30: Dylan DeMelo #74, Brent Burns #88, Logan Couture #39, Joe Pavelski #8 and Evander Kane #9 celebrate Kane's third period goal in Game Three of the Western Conference Second Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at SAP Center on April 30, 2018 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Don Smith/NHLI via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Dylan DeMelo;Brent Burns;Logan Couture;Joe Pavelski;Evander Kane /
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TORONTO, ON – JANUARY 20: Auston Matthews #34 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates against the Arizona Coyotes during the third period at the Scotiabank Arena on January 20, 2019 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/NHLI via Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON – JANUARY 20: Auston Matthews #34 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates against the Arizona Coyotes during the third period at the Scotiabank Arena on January 20, 2019 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/NHLI via Getty Images) /

Detroit Red Wings: Dylan Larkin

Detroit were always a playoff longshot, but there’s least something of a young core there. They’ve surprised enough this year that hope for the future exists, though they’ll have to commit more to youth.

Larkin is a good, fun young player heading that core. At 22, he has loads of potential.

Buffalo Sabres: Young talent

Buffalo have surprised this season, with loads of talented young players and a chance at having top-tier star talent for the future. Jack Eichel has proven himself as a first-line center and last year’s top draft pick Rasmus Dahlin is a contender for the Calder Trophy.

It isn’t always smooth sailing, but other developing players like Casey Mittelstadt, Rasmus Ristolainen and Sam Reinhardt have displayed potential. Other NHL talents like Jeff Skinner and Conor Sheary could put the young players over the edge.

Boston Bruins: The top line

Injuries have hampered them at times, but the top line of Patrice Bergeron, David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand is one of the most dominant groups in the league.

Center depth is less secure (hello, Derick Brassard or Jeff Carter?), but Boston thrive on having arguably the best line in the league. Bergeron is synonymous with the Selke Trophy and Pastrnak is likely the best scorer on the team.

Toronto Maple Leafs: The top-six

It’s not difficult to guess the main reasons for why the Leafs could win the Cup. John Tavares and Auston Matthews anchor lines with talented forwards on either side of them. Mitch Marner, especially, has been fantastic.

Adding to the dominant top six (also featuring Kasperi Kapanen and William Nylander) is defenseman Morgan Rielly, one of the top scoring d-men in the league. The Leafs look scary.

Washington Capitals: Alex Ovechkin

Ovechkin has the inside track to the Rocket Richard Trophy again. He’s scoring a ton of goals again for a Caps team that hasn’t missed a beat — Ovie is shooting 17.7 percent, a ridiculous rate for such a high-volume shooter.

There shouldn’t be much doubt at this point that Ovechkin is the greatest pure scorer in NHL history. He’s playing as well as he has in his entire career. Washington are biding their time until the postseason.

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