Eastern Conference Playoff Teams and Their Paths to the Stanley Cup
What's the case for every Eastern Conference team currently in the Playoffs to win the 2025 Stanley Cup?
With all eyes on the 4 Nations Face-Off, let’s return to the NHL for a second.
The eight teams in the Eastern Conference set to make the postseason are the following, ranked by record:
Washington Capitals (80 points)
Florida Panthers (71 points)
Carolina Hurricanes (70 points)
Toronto Maple Leafs (68 points)
New Jersey Devils (68 points)
Tampa Bay Lightning (66 points)
Ottawa Senators (62 points)
Detroit Red Wings (61 points)
What’s the case for each of these clubs to make a deep run, going the distance? Let’s go from top to bottom.
Washington Capitals
The Capitals made the playoffs as the sixth-oldest team in the NHL last season, and yet they’re on pace to surpass their 2023-24 point total by their 64th game. Washington’s on-ice improvements make them serious contenders.
For starters, acquiring Logan Thompson in the offseason for two third-round picks has proven to be a brilliant addition. Among qualified netminders, only Connor Hellebuyck has bested Thompson’s .921 save percentage—a 24-2-5 record has accompanied that total.
Being a top-tier goaltending team is going to take you far. But, as well, the Capitals’ skaters have played better hockey than last season. The center duo of Dylan Strome and Pierre-Luc Dubois has been terrific, Alex Ovechkin is scoring at the rate he did when he was in his prime (0.67 goals per game), and the surrounding top-six with Aliaksei Protas, Connor McMichael, and Tom Wilson has been productive.
When you add a defense with several quality puck-movers on it, the upside is easy to see. The Capitals have a very real chance to go far, but will their play hold up?
Since the New Year, Washington has the NHL’s best PDO at 5-on-5, which is the sum of save and shooting percentage. Basically, abnormally elite goaltending and very good shooting are hiding some of their recent slumping.
Does this team have enough star talent to win the Stanley Cup? Possibly, but it may be in their best interest to add a bigger piece at the trade deadline.
Florida Panthers
The Panthers find themselves in second place in the Eastern Conference, poised to repeat as Stanley Cup champions. It’s obvious that this team is a contender, seeing as a non-Panthers team hasn’t seen the Stanley Cup Final since 2022, but let’s explain.
Florida’s path to glory is its star power. The duo of Aleksander Barkov and Sam Reinhart is one of the best in the NHL—these two superstars get assessed tough matchups, but they win them quite often. That allows Matthew Tkachuk, one of the best playmakers in hockey, to be on the second line.
