Every year, there are surprises in the NHL. That included the Florida Panthers being the ultimate surprise of the 2022-23 season, qualifying for the playoffs by a single point and advancing to the Stanley Cup Final.
Additionally, the Calgary Flames should have been a playoff team but struggled in one-goal games, which cost them a shot at the postseason by a single point.
Furthermore, the Boston Bruins roared through the regular season, setting numerous records along the way, only to come up short in the most important games of the year. Additionally, the Seattle Kraken were in contention for a division title in their second season. However, like every season, there are surprises and disappointments. Today, we look at five teams who may do extraordinary things in 2023-24, despite what the experts say.
Related: 2023-24 NHL schedule
The Dallas Stars advance to the Stanley Cup Final
In 2020, the Dallas Stars snuck into the Stanley Cup Final while playing in the bubble in Edmonton, Alberta. Unfortunately, they lost the series to the Tampa Bay Lightning. In the three seasons since, they have collected 116 wins — good for 13th in the league.
Additionally, the Stars just lost to the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Finals a year after getting bounced in the first round, the first time their star netminder Jake Oettinger appeared in the postseason. Their young core, led by Jason Robertson, Roope Hintz, and Miro Heiskanen, is just getting going, the Stars challenged the Colorado Avalanche for the Central Division title last year. They eventually lost by a single point.
Ultimately, this team has a solid mix of veteran and young players eager to challenge for the Stanley Cup. Although no one is picking the Stars to win it all, they are a dark horse contender and came within a handful of wins from reaching their second Final in four seasons. Even though it’s a new season, they could surprise everyone by winning the Western Conference and celebrating a championship shortly after.
Under new leadership, the Calgary Flames defy the odds
During the 2021-22 season, the Calgary Flames earned the top spot in the Pacific Division and were one of the best teams heading into the playoffs. Unfortunately, their provincial rivals, the Edmonton Oilers, knocked them out in five games. It seemed to take the Flames over a year to recover as the team stumbled through the 2022-23 season.
Even though they missed the playoffs by just a single point, there were far more concerns within the organization than just missing the postseason. Ultimately, a handful of the team’s core players requested trades, resulting in the ownership cleaning house by hiring a new general manager (Craig Conroy) and head coach (Ryan Huska). Immediately following the news, most players took their requests back, and everyone turned the page towards a new season.
Under new leadership, including Mikael Backlund getting promoted to team captain, the Flames should look to bounce back in 2023-24. Despite all the internal changes, no one expects them to become instant Stanley Cup favorites. However, the pieces are already in place for that to happen. After acquiring Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri in 2022, they are just two big names ready to bring Calgary to the next level. If everyone reaches their potential under Huska, the Flames could become one of the best teams in the NHL.
Related: NHL power rankings heading into 2023-24 season
The Ottawa Senators usher in a new era of success
The Ottawa Senators once had one of the league’s most feared lineups, with Daniel Alfredsson, Jason Spezza, Dany Heatley, and Erik Karlsson hopping over the boards. But times have changed, and the team now comprises of many kids in their mid-20s, including captain Brady Tkachuk.
Although the Senators have not bottomed out and won the NHL draft lottery, they last advanced to the playoffs in 2017, when they lost in the Eastern Conference Final. Now, with all their prospects turning into stars, like Josh Norris, Tim Stützle, Drake Batherson, and Thomas Chabot, the Senators missed the playoffs by six points last year and continued to add big names to the lineup over the summer, acquiring netminder Joonas Korpisalo and sniper Vladimir Tarasenko.
Even though the top of the Atlantic Division is staked with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Boston Bruins all vying for the top spot, the Senators could surprise everyone in 2023-24 by either bumping one of those teams out or pushing them to the limit. As a potential wildcard team, Ottawa could become a dark horse to cause some upsets in the playoffs, and if the players all go on a streak, they could have their own Cinderella Run, just like the 2023 Panthers.
The Boston Bruins continue the Presidents’ Trophy curse and reach the Stanley Cup Final
Surprisingly, there’s a new curse in the NHL that very few Presidents’ Trophy winners (best regular season team) win the Stanley Cup in the same season. However, the year following their run as the top team, those franchises managed to go on to become champions, like the Washington Capitals (2018), Tampa Bay Lightning (2020), and Colorado Avalanche (2022), to name a few.
Historically, the Boston Bruins rewrote most of the NHL record book with 65 wins and 135 points in 2022-23 to have the most remarkable statistical season of all time. Unfortunately, they lost in seven games during the first round, the last contest former captain Patrice Bergeron would play in the NHL. Now, as the Bruins enter a new era, celebrating their Centennial Season, the pressure is off to live up to the expectations from the regular season.
Considering so many experts have already written the team off, saying that Boston would be lucky to qualify for the playoffs, there’s a good chance they defy all the odds and compete for the Stanley Cup. Although they lost a few players in the offseason, the Bruins still maintain one of the league’s best goalie tandems with Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman while employing a top defensive unit led by Charlie McAvoy. Additionally, David Pastrnak can score 60 goals, so even though they won’t win at the pace of 2022-23, this team isn’t going anywhere yet and should still be one of the final teams still standing in the postseason.
The Pittsburgh Penguins turn into Stanley Cup finalists
The Pittsburgh Penguins lost their 16-year playoff streak in 2022-23, missing out on the postseason by a single point. Now, as their ageless core, led by Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang, gets a year older, their window as contenders is slowly closing.
After cleaning out upper management and bringing in Kyle Dubas as their new general manager, one of his first big deals was acquiring reigning Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson, who scored 102 points last season. Although Karlsson does not solve all the Penguins’ problems, he is a significant upgrade on the back end and should be another catalyst to provide offense.
As Crosby, Malkin, and Letang continue to wind down their careers, they are still so talented that winning the Stanley Cup isn’t out of the question. However, adding another elite star like Karlsson, plus having some extra money to add any necessary pieces at the NHL trade deadline, provides plenty of reasons to feel optimistic about Pittsburgh challenging for a championship in 2023-24.