Toronto Maple Leafs: Evaluating the Stanley Cup Prospects of the Canadian Teams

What Are Canada's Cup Chances?

The Stanley Cup is the hardest trophy to win in professional sports. It is a grueling, physical quest over multiple months. Victorious teams almost always can play a variety of styles.

The winner must overcome the randomness of bounces that don't go your way and the mental grind of heartbreaking defeats or series deficits.

The Canucks and Jets have been great stories so far this season, but deep postseason runs are unlikely. Both teams appear to be playing well above their head at the moment, and the statistics do not support a continuation of their current records.

That said, weird things can happen and teams do occasionally outperform what the stats say they should do.

The Edmonton Oilers have a hole to dig out of in the standings and goaltending issues to overcome. A goaltending question is one problem you don't want to have heading into the playoffs. Still, their roster is excellent and any goalie can get hot and go on a run. You also have to assume that their management will add a goalie at some point.

The Leafs defense is nowhere near championship-caliber. Plus, they have a colossal negative history to overcome. As constructed, they do not appear to be a serious contender.

As of today, the Canadian Stanley Cup contenders have too many questions and concerns to be taken seriously for a title.