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The Stanley Cup is the ultimate prize in the NHL, but the road to the trophy is not easy. A team has to secure a spot in the playoffs by performing well in the regular season before winning multiple seven-round series.
This year, many teams defied the odds and made it to the playoffs. They are not expected to win the competition, but can try and spring a few upsets along the way.
So, let's look at the top five teams with the lowest chances of securing the Stanley Cup (per the Athletic).
5 NHL teams with the worst odds of winning the 2024 Stanley Cup:
1. Washington Capitals (0%)
The Washington Capitals have a zero percent chance of winning the Stanley Cup this season.
Alex Ovechkin has been inconsistent this season and the rest of the team has not really stepped up either. The biggest problem for them is facing the New York Rangers in the first round. They lost 4-1 in Game 1.
2. New York Islanders (0%)
The New York Islanders and Washington Capitals narrowly edged out the Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers to secure a playoff spot.
The Islanders have since lost two straight games to the Carolina Hurricanes in the playoffs. They lost 3-1 in Game 1 and 5-3 in Game 2.
They currently have a zero percent chance of winning the Stanley Cup, which is on par with the Capitals.
3. Nashville Predators (1%)
The Nashville Predators have a one percent chance of winning the Stanley Cup this year despite winning 47 games in the regular season.
In comparison, the Carolina Hurricanes secured 52 regular-season wins, only five more than the Predators, but they have the best odds of winning the Stanley Cup at 25%.
The Predators lost to the Vancouver Canucks 4-2 in Game 1.
4. Tampa Bay Lightning (1%)
The first name that comes to mind when we hear Tampa Bay Lightning is Nikita Kucherov. Kucherov is the leading points scorer this season with 144 points, courtesy of 44 goals and 100 assists. Despite his presence, the Lightning’s chances of winning the Stanley Cup stand at a slim 1%.
They lost 3-2 in Game 1 to the Florida Panthers.
5. Los Angeles Kings (1%)
For the last couple of seasons, the Los Angeles Kings have been a good team but not good enough to fulfill their Stanley Cup dreams. They secured 44 wins in the regular season and have only a few holes to fix.
However, they face the fancied Edmonton Oilers, led by captain Connor McDavid, in the first round. Last year, Edmonton defeated the Kings 4-2 in their playoff series.
The Kings' chances of winning the championship are also just 1%.
