It’s almost time, the NHL playoffs are right around the corner. If your team is in, congratulations, but (as a Blues fan) I hate you. And, if your team didn’t make it, well congratulations, because you now have two things going for you.
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One possibility is that you have a chance at getting one of the best prospects in the draft since Connor McDavid, the legendary Connor Bedard who will be the #1 pick in the upcoming NHL draft no matter which team takes the top spot. Bedard is a 17 year old phenom who racked up 143 points (71 goals/72 assists) in just 57 games this season in the WHL, and has been the consensus top pick in the draft for a while now.
The next thing is who wants to go through that process of dealing with all the added stress of watching your favorite team play? Not me, that’s for sure. Which leads me to the next best thing about hockey is STRESS FREE NHL hockey. Being able to sit back, relax and watch the most intense non-stop sport in the world is a luxury that some don’t have.
“Tony, my team is out. Who should I root for?”
Western Conference
Well I’m glad you asked this question because let’s dig deeper into some of the teams that you should be rooting for in your stress free playoff journey. I want to first say I hate watching everybody and hoping all your bets win is the best option, but if you’re a Blues fan like me it will be very easy to throw out most teams in the Western Conference because sometimes it’s just good to be a hater. So, Stars? Avalanche? Wild? Jets? Even the Golden Knights. All gone from the list.
- Seattle Kraken.
The NHL’s newest expansion team and it’s their first time in the playoffs; it’s hard to not root for an underdog story of a team rostering two former blues (Dunn, Schwartz) and a potential first round matchup against the Dallas Stars.
- Edmonton Oilers.
Hate him or love him but Connor McDavid is the best player in the league and the best player my eyes have ever seen. I want to see his greatness on showcase and I want the team around him to be great but will they actually do it? Aside from reaching the Conference Finals last year (they were swept in four games by the Avalanche who went on to win the Stanley Cup), the Oilers haven’t had much success in the playoffs either missing them entirely, or not making it past the 2nd round in six of the seven seasons since McDavid was drafted.
Eastern Conference
Looking into the Eastern Conference, we have some real heavy hitters with the biggest one being the Boston Bruins having broken the NHL’s all-time season points (133) and wins (63) record. Do we actually want them to win? In our hearts? No. With our brains and money on the line? They are a huge favorite. The road will be rough, possibly facing the Islanders in round 1 and then the winner of Tampa/Toronto in the 2nd round.
- Leafs
This is going to cause mass chaos but hear me out. How can you not want to see Matthews win? Marner, Nylander, Tavares. This team has a great roster and they fail in the first round every time. Hate them or love them, a deep Leafs playoff run would be exciting for hockey. Their elite offense can match points with any team in the league and it’s time for them to step up.
- Rangers
This team has some very likeable players, Patrick Kane aside. Zibanejad, Fox, Kreider, etc., and newly acquired former Blues Stanley Cup champion, Vlad Tarasenko. This team is very balanced and are getting good play in nets. One of the few teams in my opinion that went “all in” at the trade deadline to add pieces to go for the Cup run.
We can root for whoever we want but when placing bets it’s time to get serious. I like the following futures for the NHL playoffs this season:
Stanley Cup Winner Boston Bruins +300
Boston Bruins To Beat Edmonton Oilers in the Cup Finals +2200
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