We’re down to the final eight teams left in the 2023-24 NHL season. The first round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs separated the contenders from the pretenders, and the second round has officially begun.
Related: Ranking the Best Former Ducks in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs (Nos. 5-1)
Recently, we ranked former members of the Anaheim Ducks that were playing for teams that qualified for the postseason. Many remain in contention for hockey’s ultimate prize. Now that we have a smaller pool, let’s rank some of these former players’ chances to take home a championship.
5. Frederik Andersen – Carolina Hurricanes
Frederik Andersen returned from a serious blood-clotting issue in March and has played sensational hockey since then. He was stellar in the Carolina Hurricanes’ first-round series win over the New York Islanders, where he went 4-1 and gave up three goals or less in each game. Nobody, however, will mistake the New York Rangers, Andersen and the Canes’ second-round opponent, for the New York Islanders even if they do only play 20 miles apart.
Andersen and the Hurricanes have their hands full with the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Rangers, which is why, out of the many former Ducks still playing hockey, Andersen has the worst chance to advance. Sure, it’s possible he delivers the series of his life and backstops the Hurricanes to an Eastern Conference Final berth, but the Rangers are too potent offensively. They have shown it in the series’ first two games so far, with back-to-back four-goal games. Andersen and the Hurricanes will fight and might make it interesting, but the Rangers should be moving on.
4. Pat Maroon/Hampus Lindholm/Danton Heinen/Kevin Shattenkirk – Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins, who have the most former Ducks of any team left in the playoffs, found themselves just in time to steal Game 7 from the Toronto Maple Leafs. They followed that up with a convincing win over the Florida Panthers in Game 1. Jeremy Swayman is feeling it right now, and a hot goaltender who can hold off the opposition just long enough for the players in front of him to score enough goals is all you need to make a deep run. It helps that guys like Pat Maroon and Hampus Lindholm have continued to play valuable roles and make timely contributions.
Will that be enough to knock off the Panthers, however? They have a top-six that probably holds an edge over the Bruins. After David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand, you’re just not sure what you are going to get from Jake DeBrusk, Pavel Zacha, Morgan Geekie, and Charlie Coyle. It was enough to beat a Maple Leafs forward group that just doesn’t have what it takes to win this time of year, but the Panthers are battle-tested, fresh off a dominating series win over the Tampa Bay Lightning, and beat the Bruins in a seven-game stunner in the 2023 postseason. You can expect a contingent of Sam Reinhart, Matthew Tkachuk, Alexander Barkov, Carter Verhaeghe, Brandon Montour, Aaron Ekblad, and Vladimir Tarasenko to eventually take over the series. We may not see the former Ducks now in a Bruins uniform hoisting the Stanley Cup this season.
3. Andrew Cogliano/Josh Manson – Colorado Avalanche
Andrew Cogliano, Josh Manson, and the Avalanche have their hands full with their second-round matchup against the Western Conference-leading Dallas Stars. Both teams are deep, loaded with talent on both ends of the ice, and similar in almost every way. The Avalanche won the first three games of the season series by a combined score of 16-8, but the Stars won the playoff tuneup between the two teams on April 7 by putting up seven goals in a 7-4 victory. Finally, the Avalanche and Stars finished first (304 goals) and third (298 goals) in team scoring for the 2023-24 season.
The Avalanche scored four unanswered goals in Game 1 last night to secure the victory and take back home ice advantage. The Stars also surrendered their first two home games in Round 1 to the Vegas Golden Knights. However, they showed their resilience and proved over the course of a long series that they could be the better team. Cogliano, Manson, and company really have their hands full with the Stars.
2. Brandon Montour/Josh Mahura/Anthony Stolarz – Florida Panthers
Anthony Stolarz joined fellow former Ducks Brandon Montour and Josh Mahura this past offseason. He excellently backed up starter Sergei Bobrovsky with 24 starts, 16 wins, and a 2.03 goals-against average (GAA). Generally, the Panthers followed up their Cinderella run last season with a super 2023-24 and look primed for another run at hockey’s ultimate prize.
Though getting through the Bruins will be no easy task, the Panthers have the tools to do it again. They are a better team than last year – more depth, stronger at the top, and Bobrovsky continues to play the best hockey of his career. Montour missed time due to injury and didn’t have the same season statistically that he did in 2022-23, but his acquisition continues to pay major dividends. The team had a tough Game 1 all around, but expect them to bounce back tonight, get by the Bruins in the series, and be among the final four teams left competing for the Stanley Cup.
1. Corey Perry/Adam Henrique/Sam Carrick – Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings met for the third straight first round, and the Oilers finished the series in five games. They are firing on all cylinders right now. No team is playing better than they are, and no team looks ready to keep pace with or effectively defend everything that the Oilers can throw at you.
The Vancouver Canucks had an excellent season. Brock Boeser scored 40 goals. JT Miller had 103 points, while Quinn Hughes, who looks like one of the league’s next great defenseman, had 92. But they just played a conservative, low-event series against the Nashville Predators and produced just 13 goals in their six-game series win. Elias Pettersson didn’t score once. And, they likely won’t have Thatcher Demko for at least the first few games of the series. That’s just not going to cut it against an Oilers team that can skate better, play smarter, and make more plays than just about anyone else right now. Given this, Corey Perry, Adam Henrique, and Sam Carrick will probably beat the Canucks, reach the final four, and bring home a championship.
Will A Former Duck Win a Championship This Season?
Given the healthy amount of former Ducks still playing hockey this season, it seems likely that at least one player who used to wear the uniform will be a Stanley Cup champion by the time the final buzzer sounds on the 2023-24 NHL season. Of course, it’s possible that none do. Sports are the world’s ultimate unscripted drama and we’ll see soon enough who the final team standing is.
Which former Ducks are you rooting for in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs? Sound off in the comments below!
