3 of the 6 clubs with the highest chances of winning the Cup are Canadian.

Dose
Crédit: TORONTO, ON - DECEMBER 15: Auston Matthews #34 and Mitchell Marner #16 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skate against the Buffalo Sabres during the third period at the Scotiabank Arena on December 15, 2024 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/NHLI via Getty Images)

We have to go back to 1993 to see a Canadian team lift the Stanley Cup.

Since then, five of the seven teams from Canada have come close (Senators, Canadiens, Flames, Canucks, and Oilers), but in the end, they lost in the Stanley Cup final.

This season, Canada is in a good position to bring the major honors back north of the border. Indeed, three of the six teams most likely to win the major honors are Canadian.

No, the Canadiens, despite their recent rise, are not on the list.

The Oilers are the team with the highest chances, and the Maple Leafs (10%) as well as the Jets (8%), which are the two Canadian teams that have not participated in a Stanley Cup final since 1993, are the other two clubs in this ranking.

The Lightning, Hurricanes, and Devils complete the top-6.

But for Canadian teams, the three mentioned above have over a 99% chance of making the playoffs. But once in the playoffs, it’s historically more difficult, especially for Toronto, which has only won one series in I don’t know how long. Is this the season?

Craig Berube’s team is currently in first place in the Atlantic, and if this position holds, they would finally face the second or third team from the Atlantic instead of facing the worst or second worst team in the playoffs in the East.

For those wondering, the Canadiens, according to statistics provided in a text by The Athletic, have less than one percent chance of winning the major honors and 5% chance of participating in the spring tournament.

Their recent successes have not increased their chances that much, so it’s up to the Canadiens to defy the odds.

In brief

– Indeed.

– Too bad.

– The Jays will have to open the checkbook sooner or later.

– Schedule change.

– Not easy for Stuart Skinner.

– What a player!