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Who needs to rise up for teams to be serious Stanley Cup contenders |
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Talked to people in the hockey world about how many serious contenders there are in NHL. Most thought eight to 10. A couple of people thought half of the NHL teams have a shot.
No matter what the number, there's always someone on every team whose performance will be crucial to his success.
Today, we identify eight folks who will be critical to their team's postseason success:
Colorado Avalanche: Goalie Darcy Kuemper: The Avs have the NHL's top offensive team by a wide margin and they have the ingredients of a strong defensive corps. GM Joe Sakic may have to do some work there. But here's the bottom line: If Kuemper can play like he did in Arizona, then the Avalanche will be force in the postseason. If he doesn't...
Edmonton Oilers: General manager Ken Holland: The Oilers have Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and other key offensive players. It's up to Holland to improve the goaltending and defense. He will have to be creative with his salary cap to make the moves he needs to make.
Vegas Golden Knights: Goalie Robin Lehner: The Golden Knights have worked through their injuries and will have Jack Eichel in the not-too-distant-future. This a formidable, upper echelon contender if Lehner plays to his capabilities. However, Lehner's 3.03 goals-against average and .906 save percentage are below league averages.
Florida Panthers: Interim Coach Andrew Brunette: GM Bill Zito has built a strong team around a few quality players he inherited. This is a team that can compete against Tampa Bay in a playoff series. He had a proven coach in Joel Quenneville. When he resigned, the job went to Brunette. Now it's up to Brunette to get the most of the Panthers in the postseason. Is he up for the challenge?
Tampa Bay Lightning: Captain Steven Stamkos: He's as proven as a player can be in the NHL. He has been on the top of his game this season (36 points, 30 games). But he been unlucky with injuries over the last several years. Because their depth was eroded last summer, the Lightning just need him to stay healthy for the rest of this season to strengthen their chances of winning three Stanley Cups in a row.
Toronto Maple Leafs: Right wing William Nylander: He's having an exceptional season with 13 goals and 31 points in 30 games. When he's playing at this level, the Maple Leafs are impossible to contain. You know what you will get from Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. John Tavares also offers consistency. When all four are going well, opponents find they can't stop everyone. But when Nylander is playing average, opponents throw all of their attention on Matthews. That's why Nylander is a key for Toronto's success.
Washington Capitals: Center Evgeny Kuznetsov: He lost his way last season, looking less polished than he has in the past. This season, he has looked more dynamic, more like his old self. Now that Nicklas Backstrom is back playing again and Kuznetsov's offense is more formidable. The Capitals have to have Kuznetsov continue at this level to be a strong contender.
Pittsburgh Penguins: Center Evgeni Malkin. The Penguins have played impressively well with Malkin on the sidelines after knee surgery. If he can play close to the level he's been at in the past, the Penguins are much, much stronger. A Sidney Crosby-Malkin one-two center tandem is still challenging to contain.
Blogger •HHOF Writer's column on the NHL • 
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