2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs: 5 Contenders & 5 Pretenders

The NHL is full of quality teams, but which ones can actually win the Stanley Cup?

The NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs begin on Monday, April 22. They are set to conclude on June 17 at the latest. Last season ended with the Vegas Golden Knights defeating the Florida Panthers in five games to capture their first Stanley Cup. There are a lot of familiar teams from last season’s playoffs on this list, including all four teams from the Conference Finals.

This list is based on a multitude of things, including statistics, the eye test, and more. It’s also based on teams who I believe can or can’t win the Cup this season. There will be a few controversial picks, so feel free to give me your thoughts in the comments.

Let’s get into a list that was not easy to put together.

Contender: Florida Panthers

The Panthers have had another incredible regular season. They have all the makings of a team that can make it back to the Stanley Cup Final for the second straight season.

Aleksander Barkov, Florida Panthers (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

They are one of the few teams in the NHL that ranks top 10 in both goals for and against. They were 21st in goals against last season - now they’re second in the league. Sam Reinhart is having a huge season with 40-plus goals, while Matthew Tkachuk has over 20 goals and Carter Verhaeghe has his second consecutive season with 30 goals. They rank second on the power play, behind only the Tampa Bay Lightning. Their penalty kill ranks seventh, so they’re also top 10 in both special teams categories.

In net, both Sergei Bobrovsky and Anthony Stolarz have performed above average. They have a combined 45 quality starts in 67 games. They also have a great blue line, which should bode well in the playoffs. This team has very few weaknesses and I would not be surprised to see them in the Cup Final again.

Pretender: Vancouver Canucks

I hate to do this, but I am not buying into the Vancouver Canucks as a Cup contender right now. They have had a very good season, but I can’t buy into them at this time. Goaltender Thatcher Demko is currently hurt and is expected to miss at least another week or more. If he’s not fully healthy and clicking in the playoffs, the Canucks will have major issues. He’s 34-13-2 with a save percentage (SV%) of .917 and a goals against average (GAA) of 2.47. He’s a big reason why they have been the best and most consistent team in the Western Conference this season.