2022 Stanley Cup playoffs – Breaking down all 16 teams in the NHL postseason

On May 1, 2022

7:00 AM ET

ESPN staff

The matchups and storylines are set as the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs get underway this week, with the last team standing hoisting the cherished chalice sometime in late June.

Will that be the Tampa Bay Lightning, who are looking to become the first team to win the Cup in three consecutive seasons since the New York Islanders won four straight from 1980 to 1983? Could the Florida Panthers, who raced to the top seed in the Eastern Conference, win their first Cup? Might the Colorado Avalanche, the top seed in the West and an underachiever the past two postseasons, break through? Or will the Toronto Maple Leafs shake off their demons and claim their first Cup since 1966-67?

We’ve got all the angles covered to get you ready for the playoffs as ESPN hockey reporters Greg Wyshynski and Kristen Shilton take a look at each of the 16 postseason teams, offering the reasons each team could win it all, along with their (potentially) biggest flaws, players to watch and a bold prediction for every contender.

Note: Profiles for the Atlantic and Central teams were written by Shilton, while Wyshynski analyzed the Metro and Pacific teams. Also note that wild-card teams have been moved into their bracketed divisions (so the Capitals are in the Atlantic, and so forth).

Stats are collected from sites such as Natural Stat Trick, Hockey Reference and Evolving Hockey.

Atlantic Division

Record: 58-18-6 (122 points)

Case for a Stanley Cup run: It’s hard to argue with the Panthers’ results this season. They’re the NHL’s top-scoring team for a reason, having been consistently outstanding offensively since Game 1. Florida has three 30-plus goal scorers, six players with 50-plus points and a Hart Trophy contender in Jonathan Huberdeau, who can go toe-to-toe with any offensive threat in the league. Unsurprisingly, Florida has also produced excellent special-teams numbers (including with its top-10 power play). The Panthers’ depth of electric scoring ability, coupled with solid goaltending from Sergei Bobrovsky, has the potential to carry this team a long way into spring.

Biggest flaw(s): Defense, and goaltending. We all saw what happened to Bobrovsky in last season’s playoffs (when he was replaced midway through the first round by rookie Spencer Knight) and the veteran has struggled down the stretch this season (with a save percentage below .900 in three of four recent appearances). Those aren’t encouraging totals.

It doesn’t help that in front of Bobrovsky, Florida got a little too comfortable late in the season as the Cardiac Cats. The Panthers repeatedly fell into multiple-goal deficits they were able to erase because, well, see above. That formula doesn’t generally work in the postseason. The clichés exist for a reason: There’s no space out there anymore, no time to make plays or dangle or show off. While Florida’s offensive talent is its best asset, if the overall team defense can’t hold up (especially if Aaron Ekblad isn’t able to return to form due to his knee injury), it could make for a shorter run than the Panthers are aiming for.

Player to watch: Claude Giroux. Why? Because he picked this opportunity. Florida is the only place he wanted to land at the trade deadline. After years of falling short in Philadelphia, the Flyers’ former captain wants to win it all. What will he bring to the table to help make it happen?

Bold prediction: As happened to Tampa Bay in 2019, the seemingly unstoppable Panthers fall short with a baffling first-round exit.

Record: 54-21-7 (115 points)

Case for a Stanley Cup run: Toronto has got the talent, in all three phases of the game. Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner are one of the NHL’s most dynamic offensive duos. Mark Giordano has helped solidify the blue line, and the Leafs actually have good depth there, for once. In net, Jack Campbell appears back on his game following a midseason downturn and rib injury. Toronto isn’t the one-note wonder of its past, capable of putting pucks in the net but incapable of keeping them out. Team defense has become a part of the equation because that mentality is exhibited by the team’s top players (including Matthews). And there’s the Leafs’ excellent special teams, including the NHL’s best power play and a dynamic penalty kill that is nearly as likely to score short-handed as to get scored on.

Biggest flaw(s): Confidence. Toronto can’t hide from its ugly postseason past. No one will let the Leafs forget what happened against Boston (twice) or Montreal. This version of Toronto can contend with any team it will face in the playoffs — but only…