The NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs are months away, but there is always time to look at the odds for the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2023. Some teams have a great chance to make it this season, and others have no shot of making it to the postseason in the spring.
The NHL picks on Fan Graphs have their odds for many teams’ chances to make the 2022-2023 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. How are the percentages fair for many of the teams across the league?
Metropolitan Division
In the Eastern Conference, the Metropolitan Division is probably the toughest in the entire NHL. The New Jersey Devils surprisingly sit atop the Metropolitan Divison and have a 90.6% chance of making it to the playoffs this season, according to FanGraphs. New Jersey is one of the biggest surprises and most exciting teams in the NHL so far this season.
Much of their success is due to the speed and scoring of Jack Hughes, Nico Heschier, Jesper Bratt, Dougie Hamilton, John Marino, and Vitek Vanecek. The fanbase wanted head coach Lindy Ruff fired throughout the first couple of games during the 2022-23 season because New Jersey struggled, but things have changed dramatically.
Some credit also has to go to their associate head coach, Andrew Brunette. He was a part of the staff and roster responsible for the Florida Panthers winning the Presidents’ Trophy a season ago after Joel Quenneville was fired midseason.
Another top team and a preseason favorite to make the playoffs from the Metropolitan Division are the Carolina Hurricanes. They have a 91.6% chance to make the postseason, according to Fan Graphs. They have a ton of young talent on the Hurricanes roster. Sebastian Aho, Marty Necas, Andrei Svechnikov, Jacob Slavin, and Antti Raanta are some of the key players on this roster.
Fan Graph odds for other teams in this division: Pittsburgh Penguins 70.9%, New York Rangers 62.2%, Washington Capitals 54.3%, New York Islanders 29.9%, and the Philadelphia Flyers 22.2%.
Atlantic Division
The Atlantic Division has been one of hockey’s most surprising divisions this season. It’s early in the season, but there seems to be a changing of the guard at the top of the division.
The Boston Bruins might be one of the older teams in the entire NHL, but an older average age hasn’t stopped the Bruins from being one of the top teams in the NHL so far this season. Boston has one of the top first lines in the entire NHL with the dynamite trio of David Pastrnak-Brad Marchand-Patrice Bergeron.
Some of the Bruin’s other major contributors are David Krejci, Taylor Hall, and number-one defensemen Charlie McAvoy. While starting goalie, Linus Ullmark has been stellar to start the season. According to FanGraphs, the Boston Bruins’ chances to make it to the Stanley Cup Playoffs this season is currently at 92.9%.
The Florida Panthers have a different makeup to their hockey squad this season, acquiring Matthew Tkachuk in a blockbuster trade with the Calgary Flames and sending Jonathan Huberdeau and Kevin Weegar to Calgary in return.
According to FanGraphs, the Panthers have the second-best odds this season to make it to the Stanley Cup Playoffs at 88.6%. Florida’s best offensive players are Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov, while Aaron Ekbald is their best defenseman and the cornerstone of the Panthers’ blueline. The goaltending tandem of Sergei Bobrovsky and Spencer Knight is working well to start the season.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have a 76.9% chance to make it to the postseason, while the Tampa Bay Lightning have a 38.3% chance to make it to the postseason, and the Ottawa Senators have a 23.7% chance to make it to the postseason.
Western Conference
In the Western Conference, the teams aren’t as strong as they are in the Eastern Conference, although we could be wrong when all is said and done.
Last season, the Colorado Avalanche defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games in the 2022 NHL Stanley Cup Finals. This season, according to FanGraphs, Colorado has a 92.3% chance of making it to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Those are the second-best odds in the Western Conference.
Colorado’s Central division rivals, The Dallas Stars, have a 94% chance of making the playoffs. Dallas might be the top team in that division this season, although the Avs might be the best in the west again when they have a healthy lineup.
The Vegas Golden Knights are off to a great start in the Pacific Division and might be the favorites to win the Presidents’ Trophy and the Stanley Cup. According to FanGraphs, Vegas has a 98.2% chance of making it to the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs.
According to FanGraphs, the Los Angeles Kings have a 90.1% chance, and the Seattle Kraken have a 76.8% chance to make it to the 2023 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs.
