Too hard to tell before the offseason. For some teams especially Pitt and Minny they could look extremely different.

I would say Florida is up for debate as a contender. They have the forward core and the goaltending to be a contender, but their dcore is one of the weakest in the league. They definitely rely heavily on being able to outscore their defensive problems, but when they get start getting shut down the cave in on themselves. Much like the Avalanche rely on their offense, the Canes rely on their line matchups, NYR rely on Shesterkin, and Tampa relies on Vasilevskiy. They each have that key part to their game which if they push past, they can win the cup. Tampa still relies heavily on Vasilevskiy, particularly in the regular season, but they also have the hardware to show the buy in not only from Vasi, but the entire team. What separates Florida from the rest of the contenders I think is the buy in from their dcore. If they can push past that, I think they have what it takes to win a cup.

Vegas and toronto are real contenders. Vegas had injury issues the whole year, its honestly amazing that they were at the top of the pacific near the all star break. Once they get in the playoffs they are bound for the 2nd round and who knows what happens after that. Toronto I feel is on the verge of a great run. I know everyone says that but they have been steadily improving each year. Last year was as good as you can be without winning

I dont think the rangers can run it back again unless they play pitt or washington in the 1st round next year