A 32- HORSE RACE: Who will win the 2023 Stanley Cup?

The 2022-23 NHL season has already begun. Despite the season getting off to a rocky start with some teams still playing pre-season games and others playing their season openers, the buzz around the NHL is palpable. And as always, the question on every fan’s mind is: who will be the champion at the end of the season?

COLORADO AVALANCHE 

Last year’s champions, the Avalanche have retained most of their cup-winning roster for this season. The Denver-based franchise is the clear favourite to win the title this year. As a result of the Avs' forward line, which includes players such as Cale Makar and Nate MacKinnon, the team has a crucially talented roster of goal-threatening stars. Colorado will be out to defend their prized Stanley Cup as they set out to claim their fourth cup in the team’s history. 

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING 

The Lightning have made the Stanley Cup finals for the last three seasons and will be backing themselves to make the distance again. Having retained a high number of the squad that won both the 2020 and 2021 Stanley Cups, there’s no reason the ‘Bolts’ can’t go out and do it again. Stars such as Brayden Point, Steven Stamkos and Andrei Vasilevskiy will help to guide them into the playoffs. Coming off the back of last season’s agonising game seven loss in the Finals to the Avalanche, Tampa Bay will be hungrier than ever to reclaim the Cup. 

EDMONTON OILERS 

The Oilers have been a side that seems more than capable of winning the Cup for seasons now. Connor McDavid has risen to be (in some people’s eyes) the best player in the league. With all-stars such as Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, McDavid isn’t alone on this roster. Reaching the Western Conference finals last season showed great hope for Oilers fans, but it just didn’t fall for them as the Avalanche sent them packing in a 4-0 series. Edmonton will be hoping to emulate the success of their golden era when Wayne Gretzky helped them to four straight Stanley Cups in the early ‘80s. 

TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS 

The Maple Leafs have had a string of poor playoff runs over the last few seasons. But with Austin Matthews (last year's league MVP) the Leafs could have a chance of reversing their recent misfortunes. Acquiring Mark Giordano from the Seattle Kraken this season could also assist the Ontario side in their quest for the Cup. Toronto hasn’t won the Cup since 1967, making them the team with the longest cup drought in the NHL. The atmosphere in the Scotiabank arena as well as the side’s decorated line up could be the key potion to propel the NHL’s oldest team back to the top after a 55-year hiatus.

DARK HORSES 

So far this season, the Boston Bruins have been arguably the strongest team in the NHL. Reaching the finals in 2019 only to be beaten by the St. Louis Blues did nothing other than make the Bruins even hungrier for that elusive seventh Stanley Cup in the franchise’s history. Their squad of Boston veterans mixed with some talented youngsters could give the Bruins an outside chance of taking ice hockey’s grand prize this year. 

The Dallas Stars have also impressed this season. The Stars fell short of the Lightning in the 2020 Stanley Cup Finals and haven’t made much of an impression on the league since then. Under Rick Bowness, the Texas-based side has adopted a highly physical and aggressive style of play which could see them subvert expectations by bullying their way to the top, 1970s style. 

LOWEST CHANCES 

The Coyotes have the poorest odds in the league, having failed to qualify for the playoffs for 10 years straight and don’t even have access to their arena. The Chicago Blackhawks, San Jose Sharks and Montreal Canadiens have also made the list of the teams least likely to win the Stanley Cup. This is because all three sides have seen a collapse in recent years ever since each of their trips to the Cup Finals. The Canadiens were seen off by the Lightning in 2021, the Sharks fell to the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016; and while the Blackhawks did claim two Cups in three seasons from 2013-2015, they have since suffered a massive decline in quality and success. 

This year, the Tampa Bay Lightning are predicted to beat the Colorado Avalanche in the Stanley Cup finals in six games.