The Stanley Cup Final is the grand finale of the NHL season. It’s just that some finales are a bit grander than others.
Here are the 10 best possible Stanley Cup Final matchups in 2024, based on the teams that have a mathematically significant chance of making the playoff cut (better than 5%) heading into Thursday’s games.
Our rankings are based on storylines, star power and other attributes that might entice a casual sports fan to watch the greatest postseason tournament in sports. We tried to spread the wealth through all the possible playoff teams instead of just saying “Vegas vs. everyone” — as valid as that answer might have been.
We release this ranking with apologies to the good people of Winnipeg, as the Jets are a great team but one that didn’t naturally fit into our top 10. If it’s any consolation, the “White Out” remains one of hockey’s greatest playoff traditions.
Let’s look at the best Stanley Cup Final matchups on the board:
The battle of the bridesmaids, as it were. The Hurricanes were swept by the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference finals last season, while the Stars lost a delightfully contentious Western final against the eventual Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights — please recall the Jamie Benn vs. Mark Stone incident.
Beyond seeing these teams finally get their shot at the Cup, they’re both really compelling contenders. The Rod Brind’Amour Canes are trying to level up after defying their own trade deadline philosophy by acquiring Jake Guentzel and Evgeny Kuznetsov. The Stars are trying to deliver the first Cup ring to a gaggle of veterans — chief among them Joe Pavelski — with one of the deepest rosters in the tournament.
It’s clear that Alex Ovechkin‘s pursuit of Wayne Gretzky’s all-time NHL goals record is something that resonates with casual hockey fans and general sports fans. That record chase could get some of the spotlight in a Capitals Stanley Cup Final against the two teams most synonymous with Gretzky — with apologies to the New York Rangers and especially the St. Louis Blues, of course.
Of course, you’d also get Ovechkin vs. McDavid in the Oilers series, as one generation’s megastar who carried the offensive torch for the NHL meets his successor. And in the Kings series you’d get Tom Wilson vs. Drew Doughty, which could be impactful.
There are some interesting parallels between the Bolts and the Nucks.
Both teams are decidedly top-heavy, but with stars who can carry the load. Both teams have an elite defenseman, with the best of the past decade (Victor Hedman) facing the likely Norris Trophy winner this season (Quinn Hughes). You’ve got Brayden Point vs. Elias Pettersson in the ultimate “people don’t realize how truly good this guy is!” showdown. There’s the dynasty looking for another crown jewel vs. the franchise looking for its first Stanley Cup win.
Heck, there’s even a storyline with Rick Tocchet having coached both teams.
But really, we’re here for the incredible travel distances between the two cities, as the media spend more time on cross-continent flights than they will at local watering holes after games. Which is saying something. (See also: Florida Panthers vs. Canucks)
The Bruno Bowl!
Andrew Brunette was a Jack Adams finalist in 2021-22, leading Florida to first place in its division as an interim coach before losing in the second round of the playoffs, after which he was unceremoniously dumped in favor of Paul Maurice. In his second head-coaching gig, Brunette led the surprising Predators to the Western Conference playoffs, installing a fast-skating, offensive system into a franchise that has been more synonymous with goaltending and defense.
Which is to say that a Predators vs. Panthers Stanley Cup Final would be a ton of fun.
Two teams filled with quirky…
This article was originally published by a www.espn.com . Read the Original article here. .