NHL: Three real contenders for the Stanley Cup at the end of October
By Jim Lynch
Each season, fans from around the league look for certain takeaways from their favorite teams after the first month of the season. While it might still feel like the NHL just kicked off the 2023-24 season, the Stanley Cup Playoffs will be here before you know it.
Three NHL teams really contending for the Stanley Cup after the first month of the season.
Starting the season off on the right note is always important. While fans love talking about the team that makes a coaching change midway through the year catapulting them to a playoff run, sometimes the best teams from the jump are the eventual Stanley Cup winners.
Pretty much every team has played eight games already, which means the hockey season is about a tenth of the way over. While there is a lot of hockey left to be played, these three teams are definitely for real.
The Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche are off to a great start to the 2023-24 Season. Through eight games the Avs are 6-2-0 and for the most part the team has stayed healthy through the first month.
Their big additions this offseason like Ryan Johansen, Tomas Tatar and Ross Colton have all looked great. Additionally, Alexander Georgiev is having a strong start having posted a .915 save percentage.
The Avalanche learned the hard way last season that repeating as champs in back to back seasons is not as easy as it looks, but now they look ready to contend and potentially win their second Stanley Cup in three years.