Top 5 contenders to win the 2021 NHL stanley cup

5. Pittsburgh Penguins

It's never a good idea to bet against Sidney Crosby, but this is a team that, while sitting third in the league standings, has some major holes. They're still also missing Evgeni Malkin, and there's no word about when he'll be back. If he is able to return for the playoffs, the Penguins' chances of making a deep run improve dramatically.

4. Washington Capitals

The Washington Capitals have been a playoff contender for more than a decade, and although they are again this season, they did not make my top five. The primary explanation for this is because of their goaltending. They were planning on starting the season with a duo of Ilya Samsonov and Henrik Lundqvist after letting Braden Holtby walk this offseason (the right decision, in my opinion).

3. Vegas Golden Knights

The Vegas Golden Knights have no glaring weaknesses in their lineup. They have incredible talent up front in Mark Stone, Max Pacioretty, and Jonathan Marchessault, as well as studs on the back end in Shea Theodore and Alex Pietrangelo. This roster is utterly devastating from top to bottom, giving them a great chance to win the Stanley Cup this season.

2. Colorado Avalanche

The Colorado Avalanche are an exciting young team that will only get better as time goes on. Though they don't have quite the same depth as the Golden Knights, they're similar. What gives them a slight advantage, in my opinion, is the fact that they have Nathan MacKinnon, who is widely regarded as the best player in the NHL aside from Connor McDavid. Though the 25-year-old had a sluggish start to the season by his high standards, he has been on fire recently, scoring 59 points in just 41 games.

1. Tampa Bay Lightning

Though it is exceedingly rare for teams to win back-to-back Stanley Cups, the Tampa Bay Lightning could be an exception. It doesn't seem fair that they have so much superstar talent in players like Steven Stamkos, Victor Hedman, Brayden Point, and Andrei Vasilevskiy. As if those names weren't enough, they're still expecting Nikita Kucherov to return for the playoffs after missing the entire season due to a hip injury.