Stanley Cup Playoffs: 3 dark horse candidates from the Western Conference

Which Western Conference teams in the Stanley Cup Playoffs could pull off an upset or two?

The NHL’s season is about to get back underway. Though there won’t be any more regular-season games, there’s a nice consolation prize in the form of an expanded Stanley Cup Playoffs format. 24 teams will compete for the right to lift the Stanley Cup.

It’s been a while since there has been a more anticipated postseason. Fans haven’t seen live sports from one of the four major North American leagues since March. That’s way too long. Teams are already starting to get back together for small, voluntary workouts.

Yesterday, we took a look at which underdog teams from the Eastern Conference could pull off a Cinderella run. Today, let’s take a look at which teams from the Western Conference could emerge from the chaos as the best in the west.

1. Vancouver Canucks

The Vancouver Canucks are a very talented team. And frankly, they probably benefitted from the season’s hiatus. All-Star goaltender Jacob Markstrom was injured and the Canucks weren’t playing as well as they had earlier. But with Markstrom healthy, the Canucks have a decent chance at pulling off some upsets this postseason.

Like many postseason teams, Vancouver is undeniably flawed. They’re a bit top-heavy as far as their forwards go and their defense hasn’t been good. However, their strengths might be strong enough for them to overcome their weaknesses.

Elias Pettersson had a very impressive season and could sneak onto some Hart Trophy ballots. J.T. Miller would be a serious Selke Trophy candidate if people voted for wings not named Mark Stone. Brock Boeser, when healthy, is one of the league’s top goal scorers. Quinn Hughes gives the Canucks blue line a dynamic force that can take over games.

The Western Conference doesn’t have any overwhelming favorites, which means the door is open for the Canucks to get hot at the right time and maybe even make a Stanley Cup run.