How Many Teams if Given an "Ideal Path" Could Win The Cup?

[NVious]

Personally there's at least 10 teams for me that it wouldn't surprise me at all if they won the cup this year, but obviously some crazy matchups to start. Who do you think if they had good matchups could win the cup?

 

[Random Comment]

All of them except Montreal

 

[Three On Zero]

With an ideal path? All 16 teams.

 

[Chet Manley]

Ideal paths are overrated.

 

[The Duck Knight]

There is no "ideal path" to 16 wins. I think there are about 7 teams that I can see legitimately going all the way. TB/FLA/COL/DAL/VGK/EDM/LA. Any of the others would surprise me.

 

[Mr grumpy]

given the best path? Any team will have a chance to win

 

[GrumpyKoala]

The ideal path doesn't exist in the west so we can rule that out.

All first round series have an interesting narrative and all those team are at worst bubble able to win it all.

 

[Mrb1p]

All of them except the ones who have Hellebuyck and Matthews, theres just no helping these two.

 

[HockeyVirus]

What is an ideal path? Facing the bottom 5 teams ranked from best to worst as the playoffs go on?

As far as "ideal path" the Leafs have as close to one as they can get this year.

Sens round 1 they are the better team
Round 2 - especially if Tampa wins the Leafs have proven they can beat them in the playoffs
The metro is weak as hell in the ECR

The hardest part would likely be who came out of the west