2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs and Final Possibilities

The 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs are fast approaching. We will make some prognostications about how things will turn out. Teams are currently jockeying for position. The trade deadline strengthened some teams, while others were strong before the deadline. Let’s cover how things COULD turn out according to hockeyreference.com’s playoff probability report. Their report is based on over 1,000 simulations of the remainder of the season and the fate of each team’s Cup possibilities.

Eastern Conference

According to the report, the five top teams in the East to win the Cup with the percentages of winning will be the Carolina Hurricanes (12.1%), New York Rangers (10.5%), Florida Panthers (10.3%), Boston Bruins (6.6%), and the Toronto Maple Leafs (6.5%). Before even reaching the chance to win a Cup, the teams must finish the regular 2023-24 season. So, who in the East has a more favorable schedule? As of this writing (and things can certainly change), the Panthers play four playoff-projected teams. The Rangers also have four contests against playoff teams. The Canes will have four games scheduled against teams projected to be in the postseason hunt. The Leafs have the most games against playoff-bound teams, with eight of their final 10 games being played against playoff-level teams. So their work is cut out for them.

If the Eastern playoffs were to start today, the matchups would be as follows:

New York Rangers vs Washington Capitals

Boston Bruins vs Tampa Bay Lightning

Florida Panthers vs Toronto Maple Leafs

Carolina Hurricanes vs Philadelphia Flyers

This writer predicts New York, Boston, Florida, and Carolina should advance to the second round. Then, in the next round, Florida and New York will advance to the Conference Final. Still glowing from last season’s Cup Final appearance, the Panthers will again be the Eastern Conference champions.

The Panthers brought back the same team that went to the Stanley Cup Final last season. That team fell to the Vegas Golden Knights in five games. Of course, there are many variables involved in these predictions. Teams can and have gone into winning and losing streaks, affecting final standings.

Western Conference

The top five teams in the West include the Vancouver Canucks (8.7%), Colorado Avalanche (8.7%), Dallas Stars (7.7%), Edmonton Oilers (6.1%), and the Winnipeg Jets (5.6%). The remaining schedule for these top five teams shows that the Stars have the best schedule, with just four games against playoff potential teams. The Canucks and Jets have five contests, and the Avalanche and the Oilers have six.

If the Western playoffs were to start today, the matchups would be as follows:

Dallas Stars vs Los Angeles Kings

Vancouver Canucks vs Nashville Predators

Colorado Avalanche vs Winnipeg Jets

Edmonton Oilers vs Vegas Golden Knights

Predictions for this series of games find Dallas, Vancouver, Colorado, and Edmonton moving on to the second round. The Dallas Stars and Edmonton Oilers will play in the Western Conference Final. Edmonton will find redemption by defeating the Stars in the Western Conference Final.

That means a Stanley Cup Final will have the Florida Panthers against the Edmonton Oilers. McDavid/Driasaitl vs Matthew Tkachuk/Sam Reinhart. That should be some Cup Final series!

Evaluating the 2024 Stanley Cup Final

These are two great teams vying for the 2024 Stanley Cup. For the Oilers, it has been a long drought since they last won the Cup in 1989-90 against the Boston Bruins. The last time they appeared in a Cup Final was in 2005-06 when they lost to the Carolina Hurricanes in seven games.

The Florida Panthers have never won a Cup. They are one of 11 teams in that category. They have only appeared in two Cup Final series, once last year and then again in 1996, losing to the Avalanche.

That means both these teams will be hungry to win it all. Both teams can score.

Florida averages 3.21 goals per game, while Edmonton has 3.58. The Panthers are superior on defense, allowing 2.44 goals a game, and the Oilers allow 2.87 per game.

The prediction from this writer is that the Edmonton Oilers will be victorious—the first Cup for the dynamic duo of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. For McDavid, the wait will be over. Nine long years without a Cup. Same for Draisaitl. He has waited 10 years. The sight of both of them raising the Cup will be a treasure. Not only will the drought end for the Oilers, but it would be the first time a Canadian team has won the Cup since the Montreal Canadiens did it in 1993. Let that sink in. 30 years ago. WOW!