2023 HFBoards Stanley Cup Favourite #1

M2Beezy · Aug 24, 2022

leafsfan5 · Aug 24, 2022

Colorado, the best team in the league with a pretty easy path to the finals compared to what teams in the east have. It's a no brainer

amnesiac · Aug 24, 2022

Colorado, west is weaker, but not crazy about a Francouz-Geogiev tandem

Namikaze Minato · Aug 24, 2022

amnesiac said:
Colorado, west is weaker, but not crazy about a Francouz-Geogiev tandem

Thats why i still give it to Tampa, the big hurdle for Tampa, as always, is its own division.

McJedi · Aug 24, 2022

amnesiac said:
Colorado, west is weaker, but not crazy about a Francouz-Geogiev tandem

Were you crazy about Kuemper and his 89.9% playoff save percentage?

Namikaze Minato said:
Thats why i still give it to Tampa, the big hurdle for Tampa, as always, is its own division.

Tampa seems to handle their own division just fine. Clobbered Florida. Tampa lost the handshake line to Toronto apparently.

Their one series vs the Avs, they lost to a team with a goalie that saved about 90% of the shots he faced in the finals.

Toronto now has Murray in net. Zoinks.

EdJovanovski · Aug 24, 2022

The one with Kravtsov on it

Namikaze Minato · Aug 24, 2022

McJedi said:
Tampa seems to handle their own division just fine. Clobbered Florida. Tampa lost the handshake line to Toronto apparently.

Their one series vs the Avs, they lost to a team with a goalie that saved about 90% of the shots he faced in the finals.

Toronto now has Murray in net. Zoinks.

Youre right, probably should have voted for Toronto, just because that upsets you deeply, on a personal level.

Took a pill in Sbisa · Aug 24, 2022

Had to go Tampa Bay,

Colorado lost Kadri, Burakovsky, Kuemper

Tampa lost Palat

Just can't see Colorado winning another cup with those goalies.

wetcoast · Aug 25, 2022

Took a pill in Sbisa said:
Had to go Tampa Bay,

Colorado lost Kadri, Burakovsky, Kuemper

Tampa lost Palat

Just can't see Colorado winning another cup with those goalies.

TB lost Ryan McDonagh and Jan Rutta as well.

They are still top 5 for me but the Avs are the team to beat IMO.

Took a pill in Sbisa · Aug 25, 2022

wetcoast said:
TB lost Ryan McDonagh and Jan Rutta as well.

They are still top 5 for me but the Avs are the team to beat IMO.

lol you beat me to it, had just remembered and was going to edit my post.

I still think Colorado's losses outweigh Tampa's and add in a healthy Point.

Colorado was terrific last year but I feel like they peaked. Looking at the recent injury history of Colorado's core, they were actually pretty lucky to have everyone healthy for the playoff run. I wouldn't count on that again next year.
Kadri's career year being replaced by a sophomore Newhook or career bottom-6 Compher is a huge downgrade. Their center depth suddenly isn't threatening anymore compared to the likes of Point-Cirelli-Paul. Add in an often injured Francouz and unproven Georgiev vs Vasilevsky and its enough to make the difference for me.

amnesiac · Aug 25, 2022

McJedi said:
Were you crazy about Kuemper and his 89.9% playoff save percentage?

was .902

no, but Geogiev was one of the worst goalies last season, and Francouz has had his injury problems

wetcoast · Aug 25, 2022

Took a pill in Sbisa said:
lol you beat me to it, had just remembered and was going to edit my post.

I still think Colorado's losses outweigh Tampa's and add in a healthy Point.

Colorado was terrific last year but I feel like they peaked. Looking at the recent injury history of Colorado's core, they were actually pretty lucky to have everyone healthy for the playoff run. I wouldn't count on that again next year.

The Avs have arguably 3 of the best 30 Dmen in the league (yes Bryam played that well) and their top 2 lines and depth just comes at teams in waves.

Father time is slowly catching up to TB, Vasilevskiy hides some of the weaknesses on that team and they are going to miss Palat more than people think, never mind McDonagh.

Took a pill in Sbisa · Aug 25, 2022

McJedi said:
Were you crazy about Kuemper and his 89.9% playoff save percentage?

Not at all, they did well to overcome it and will be a tall task to do it 2 years in a row. Just because they did it last year doesn't guarantee they can do it again.

McJedi · Aug 25, 2022

amnesiac said:
was .902

no, but Geogiev was one of the worst goalies last season, and Francouz has had his injury problems

Kuemper has the same career injury issues as well.

The Avs just won a Cup with dubious goalie play from their starter at ~90%

KAITBGMITNHL · Aug 25, 2022

If it wasn't for Francouz and Georgiev I'd say Colorado. Just not confident in that tandem, and combined with losing Kadri and burakovsky the offense is less insane. Carolina made some serious additions, this could be their year.

Foppberg · Aug 25, 2022

I can't wait for Georgiev to win his first Vezina & Con Smythe next year.

Eltuna · Aug 25, 2022

Took a pill in Sbisa said:
Not at all, they did well to overcome it and will be a tall task to do it 2 years in a row. Just because they did it last year doesn't guarantee they can do it again.

This is a fair take, many are pointing at Colorados 2C as the Achilles heel but it’s likely that it is fixed either internally by Newhook breaking out or externally via a deadline trade as the Avs will have accrued a ton of cap space by then and still have their 1st to deal. They will go into the playoffs with a good 2C.

The goaltending rather is pretty much set unless they completely implode in the regular season which is unlikely in front of the Colorado defence.

Winning a cup with 0.900 goaltending is extremely hard even if your team is stacked. Colorado going 16-4 with goaltending like that was truly remarkable and something that the league is unlikely to see again for many years.

Eltuna · Aug 25, 2022

For this poll I think it’s really interesting that 2 of the top 4 from last years poll and 3 of the top 8 didn’t even make the playoffs. Hockey is much harder to predict than other sports.

For me I think Colorado and Toronto are my picks for the final this year. I think Toronto is finally going to break through this year in a big way.

McJedi · Aug 25, 2022

KirillKyleKrebs said:
If it wasn't for Francouz and Georgiev I'd say Colorado. Just not confident in that tandem, and combined with losing Kadri and burakovsky the offense is less insane. Carolina made some serious additions, this could be their year.

Carolina lost Trochek and DeAngelo. Replaced with much older guys, one of which already has a major and severe injury. The other of which is pretty washed. Carolina loading up on guys over 35. Seems dubious to me.

tarheelhockey · Aug 25, 2022

I think losing Kadri will be a serious setback for Colorado. Obviously still a very strong team with contender status, but I don't think they run the table in 2023 the way they did last year.

amnesiac · Aug 25, 2022

McJedi said:
Kuemper has the same career injury issues as well.

The Avs just won a Cup with dubious goalie play from their starter at ~90%

Ok but theyre still going with 2 goalies who were never #1s

Keumper has 299 career gp

Tufted Titmouse · Aug 25, 2022

Leafs till I die.

2nd guess would be Carolina.

McJedi · Aug 25, 2022

amnesiac said:
Ok but theyre still going with 2 goalies who were never #1s

Keumper has 299 career gp

True. But Frankie played the Oilers series and part of the Nashville one and got sweeps in each. He’s a high end back up. Geo is a wild card.

The rangers suck. Their underlying metrics absolutely suck. That’s a team that relies way too much on elite goaltending. The Avs have, by far, the best defense in the NHL. His job will be different than having to stand on his head to cover up how bad the rangers actually are.

Luigi Lemieux · Aug 25, 2022

Colorado was so much better than everyone else that even with their losses this off-season they're pretty safely the favorite.

bobholly39 · Aug 25, 2022

Tampa Bay.

Vasi is a real big differentiator imo vs Colorado's goalies. Tampa lost last year it's true, but it's incredibly hard to win 3 yrs in a row. I think going into the new season they could attack it fully rejuvenated and do great again.

Obviously - if some here want to vote Colorado, that's fine too. I think they're top 2

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