However, there just hasn’t been much of a “crispness” to their season. I mean, which team can survive for long without their top two centers in the lineup? The answer is not many, so I don’t fault them much for that. And yes, a big part of that is getting Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier back from injury. Yes, they won three in a row before handing the San Jose Sharks their first road win of the season. There’s a good chance we might only see three teams make it out of the Pacific, and I don’t think Vancouver is one of them.įRANK SERAVALLI: I didn’t pick them to win the Stanley Cup, but they were a trendy pick this year, so I’m going to say the New Jersey Devils. To be fair, I picked the Devils before Dougie Hamilton’s long-term injury. They are 11-10-1. I expect the Oilers to turn things around, and Los Angeles is coming. They’re lucky teams like Edmonton and Calgary couldn’t figure things out early and that San Jose happens to be in the division, too. They had an easier start to the season compared to other contenders, and the last stretch has been a bit ugly.
I’m just not convinced this group’s the real deal. STEVEN ELLIS: The Toronto Maple Leafs are an excellent choice, but I’m going with the Vancouver Canucks.
