2013 NHL Picks and Predictions: Stanley Cup Odds, Favorites, Dark Horses and Sleepers

2013 NHL Picks and Predictions – Stanley Cup Favorites, Dark Horses and Sleepers: After a lockout threatened to cancel the entire season, there will be hockey played in 2013. The abbreviated season will begin January 19 and is expected to last well into June. Much like the recent NBA lockout, all the major stars that went overseas to play will be back in uniform when the season begins. Of course, it remains to be seen whether these players and their teams have an edge or if they added rest for those that elected to stay idle during the lockout turns out to be the winning move. In either case, there will be more names etched on the Stanley Cup this year, and it is time to discuss who the top contenders are.

2013 NHL Picks and Predictions: Stanley Cup Odds, Favorites, Dark Horses and Sleepers
The Favorites

After leading the league with 282 goals last season, the Pittsburgh Penguins figure to be an even stronger offensive team and even stronger contender for the Stanley Cup with star Sidney Crosby set to play an entire season. If Crosby isn’t the best offensive player in the NHL, his teammate Evgeni Malkin is. The team also has plenty of firepower on the wing in James Neal and Chris Kunitz, and defenseman Kris Letang is one of the best offensive players at his position, as well. Meanwhile, the offseason addition of goalie Tomas Vokoun provides a reliable second option in case starter Marc-Andre Fleury decides to melt down in the playoffs again. If this team stays healthy, opponents are going to have trouble keeping pace.

Already one of the most balanced teams in the league, the New York Rangers may have added the missing piece to the championship puzzle this offseason by adding left wing Rick Nash to the mix. Nash will team with Marian Gaborik to give New York two legitimate No. 1 scorers, and with center Brad Richards running the show, the offense is sure to improve. Meanwhile, no goalie in the NHL consistently plays at an elite level more than New York’s Henrik Lundqvist. The Rangers allowed the fewest goals in the Eastern Conference last season and the third-fewest in the NHL. This is essentially the same team that posted the best record in the Eastern Conference last season but with added offensive firepower. The Rangers have everything they need to win the Stanley Cup in 2013.

The Dark Horses

The Vancouver Canucks have been on the verge of a championship for the last several seasons. After losing in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals two years ago, they posted the best record in the NHL last year before being bounced in the playoffs by the eventual-champion Kings. With Daniel and Henrik Sedin anchoring the offense and Ryan Kesler set to return from injury at some points during the year, Vancouver should be able to light the lamp. The real questions come in net where Cory Schneider is set to supplant veteran Roberto Luongo. If the Canucks are still the same team defensively that allowed the fourth-fewest goals in the NHL last season, there is no reason why they can’t make another run at a title in 2013.

Although they were the last team to clinch a playoff spot in the Western Conference last year, the Los Angeles Kings went on to win the Stanley Cup anyway. If goalie Jonathan Quick plays like the human brick wall he was last season, there is no reason they can’t repeat as champs. Quick’s 1.95 goals against average was the second-best in the NHL last season and the best of any goalie with at least 40 starts. He also posted a league-high 10 shutouts. The offense still doesn’t have a superstar, but Jeff Carter, Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown and Brad Richards are all solid players. Los Angeles just needs to generate enough offense to get back to the playoffs, and Quick has shown he can pretty much do the rest.

Coming off a year when they won the Central Division and tied for the second-best record in the NHL, the St. Louis Blues will try to follow a similar recipe for success in 2013. Plain and simple, the Blues had the best goalie tandem in the league as Jaroslav Halak and Brian Elliott helped St. Louis allow the fewest goals in the league. Elliott and Halak ranked first and fourth in goals against average, respectively, and combined for 15 shutouts. Having star defenseman Alex Peitrangelo on the roster doesn’t hurt either. On the flip side, the Blues didn’t do anything to bolster the league’s 10th-worst offense from a year ago. St. Louis is going to live and die by its defense, but the Blues showed last season how good they can be with that philosophy.

The Sleepers

A powerful offense took the Chicago Blackhawks to the playoffs last year, and their scoring ability could take them even further this season. Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews form one of the rising offensive duos in the league, and veterans Marian Hossa and Patrick Sharp also provide plenty of stable scoring for a group that ranked fifth in the NHL in goals scored last season and should be even better in 2013. Of course, stopping opponents from scoring could be a different story. Goalie Corey Crawford took a big step back last year after a solid rookie campaign, allowing 2.72 goals per game. If he can at least provide solid numbers, this offense can take care of the rest.

With a roster loaded with young, talented offensive players, the Boston Bruins are more than capable of winning the Stanley Cup for the second time in three years in 2013. Tyler Seguin, Patrice Bergeron, Milan Lucic and David Krejci are just a few of the young players returning for a scoring attack that ranked second in the NHL last year. If goalie Tuukka Rask is as good as advertised when it comes to replacing Tim Thomas in net, the Bruins are going to be in business. It’s tough to find a team with more upside.

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