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Toronto Maple Leafs Roundtable: Who Will Win the Stanley Cup?

By Wilbert Timmermans

TORONTO, ON - OCTOBER 5: Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews #34 looks on before playing the Montreal Canadiens at the Scotiabank Arena on October 5, 2019 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Kevin Sousa/NHLI via Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - OCTOBER 5: Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews #34 looks on before playing the Montreal Canadiens at the Scotiabank Arena on October 5, 2019 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Kevin Sousa/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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TAMPA, FL - OCTOBER 03: Tampa Bay Lightning Right Wing Nikita Kucherov (86) celebrates his goal with the bench during the NHL Hockey match between the Lightning and Panthers on October 3, 2019 at Amalie Arena in Tampa, FL. (Photo by Andrew Bershaw/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
TAMPA, FL - OCTOBER 03: Tampa Bay Lightning Right Wing Nikita Kucherov (86) celebrates his goal with the bench during the NHL Hockey match between the Lightning and Panthers on October 3, 2019 at Amalie Arena in Tampa, FL. (Photo by Andrew Bershaw/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Philip Van Riesen

Betting on who is going to the win Stanley Cup is far riskier than other sports, such as football or basketball which are far less volatile sports than hockey.

Based on most statistical models the highest probability of a specific team winning the cup is under 20% which does not put the odds in anyone’s favour. However, logically the best team does have the best chance at winning, and the best team in the NHL would have to be the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Not only does the lightning have 3 superstars in their top 6 at forward, in Kucherov, Stamkos, and Point, but the lightning has so much depth beyond their superstars at the forward position with excellent complementary players such as Cirelli, Palat, Gourde, Maroon and it doesn’t even end at that.

The lightning forward corps are among the top 3 in the league, I have their forward group listed as number 2 behind the Leafs. Furthermore, moving onto the defence, which has gotten stronger from last year with the addition of Shattenkirk and loss of Girardi, along with young players like Sergachev and Cernak only getting better. This top 6 may not be a top 5 D-core in the league but it is a solid group of players lead by the veteran, Victor Headman that will without a doubt be better than most other top 6’s in the league.

With forwards and defensemen covered, that leaves us with starting goaltender Vasilevskiy and backup McElhinney, both of which are very good for their given role. I tend to be lower on Vasilevskiy than most, I think his praise is more a matter of his team being defensively sound rather than himself, but he is still a clear top 10 goalie in my books and McElhinney is luxury to have as a backup.

With this all being said, the Tampa Bay Lightning are the all-around top team in the NHL and as a result, are my team to pick to win the cup.

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