The Athletic: Hurricanes strongly favored for Stanley Cup in 2024

The Athletic team was polled this week to draw up a (very early) portrait of the upcoming NHL season. All the site’s editors were asked to give their opinions on, among other things, the teams favoured to win the Stanley Cup in 2024.

One might have expected the race to be tight between several clubs, with not too many gaps between each team.

But you’ll be surprised, as much as we were, to find that the Carolina Hurricanes are strong favourites to be crowned champions next June. We repeat: heavy favourites.

With 45.2% of the vote, the Canes sit far and away at the top of this poll. By comparison, the Avalanche came in second with just 16.1% of the vote.

The general feeling is that the Canes have spent enough time as a contender and learned enough from their playoff losses to finally make it to the end. That’s the cycle that seems to be paying off, recently, after the Lightning, Avalanche and Golden Knights – just like other examples from previous years. You have to learn to lose before you can win, and the Canes have learned a lot. We’ll remind you that it wasn’t just yesterday: on the eve of the Capitals-Golden Knights final, the Canes were the greatest story of the playoffs.

The Canes lost a few key players on the free agent market, but acquired Michael Bunting to improve their winger group.

The biggest difference will certainly be that Andrei Svechnikov will be back and healthy, after missing most of last season and the playoffs.

Rod Brind’Amour’s men also have 38.7% of the vote to win the Presidents’ Trophy.

In a gust

– Summer for Kirby Dach!

Hey Kirby 👋 🏄‍♂️ pic.twitter.com/i6ilLA2EZL

– /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) July 15, 2023

– A legendary duel.

– DeAngelo will be bought out.