The Stanley Cup Playoffs will provide extra excitement this year because of the changes the league adopted this season due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The league’s seven Canadian-based clubs are all in the same division and they have played all their games so far this season against each other.
In addition, the revised playoff format means that the top four teams in the North Division will face off in the playoffs with one Canadian-based club guaranteed to be reach the conference final.
Hockey fans across Canada are hungry for a Stanley Cup winner. No team that represents a Canadian city has won the Stanley Cup since the Montreal Canadiens did it in 1993. That 27-year drought is the longest in NHL history.
You can check out the latest odds on these teams winning the Stanley Cup and many other sports-related things to wager on at PowerPlay Sports Betting.
Here are the top four Canadian-based teams with the best chances of winning the Stanley Cup this season:
4. Montreal Canadiens
For years, the Habs have gotten great goaltending from Carey Price but struggled to put the puck in the net consistently enough to win. That has changed this year with Price struggling through an unexpected mid-season slump but the team’s offense has picked up a lot of the slack.
Tyler Toffoli has been a great addition to the Canadiens lineup while defenseman Jeff Petry has provided a lot of offense, especially on the power play.
Montreal also has goal scorers in Brendan Gallagher and Josh Anderson while Thomas Tatar, Nick Suzuki and Jonathan Drouin are talented passers.
The Habs will need Price to get hot again in the playoffs but they have the balance and talent to make a long playoff run.
3. Winnipeg Jets
The Jets have a lot of balance on offense which should help come playoff time because opposing teams will not be able to focus on just shutting down one player or one line.
Six different Winnipeg players already have 10 or more goals scored this season led by wingers Kyle Connor and Nikolaj Ehlers. Mark Scheifele remains a dangerous weapon and he and Blake Wheeler help make the Jets power play extremely effective.
The big question come the postseason is whether goalie Connor Hellebuyck is good enough to lead this team to the promised land. If Hellebuyck gets hot at the right time, the Jets have a chance this year.
2. Edmonton Oilers
The Oilers have some of the most dynamic offensive talents in the game in Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Defensemen Tyler Barrie and Darnell Nurse have also contributed a lot to the team’s offensive firepower.
The big question in Edmonton remains whether this team can play defense well enough to win in the playoffs. Special teams are also an issue for the Oilers. Their power play is highly effective but Edmonton struggles to kill penalties and that can be a big issue come playoff time.
If the Oilers can adjust to playing playoff-style hockey, they can be a dangerous opponent in this year’s playoffs and may just be able to bring home the team’s first Stanley Cup title in more than 30 years.
1. Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs haven’t won a Stanley Cup since the NHL had only six teams. Now there are 31. Toronto is hungry for a championship as it’s been 54 years since this Original Six franchise has hoisted the Stanley Cup.
There is a lot of firepower and talent on this team and they have spent most of the season in first place for a reason. Auston Matthews is one of the most exciting players in hockey today and when you add talented players like Mitch Marner, John Tavares and Morgan Rielly you can see why Toronto is a team few teams want to face in the postseason.
The key for the Leafs will be goaltending. Does Frederik Andersen have what it takes to bring the Stanley Cup back to Toronto and can the Leafs play strong enough defense to win four playoff series?
If they do, history will be made this spring as the Leafs try to end the longest Stanley Cup drought of any active NHL team.
