Top 5 Stanley Cup Contenders for 2011-2012

With the new NHL season coming up, now is a good chance to look at those teams who will be a contender for the Cup.

Vancouver Canucks

By all rights, the Canucks probably should have won big last season (and they certainly came close). If not for what could have been perceived as a monumental choke by Luongo and co., they might very well have. They've had a few very long months to replay every minute of every game since then, and you can believe it will motivate every last one of them when the puck drops soon. The only thing standing in the way is themselves, and whether or not they can overcome what will surely be merciless taunting from fans who, only a few months ago, destroyed part of their city in response to what was almost a championship effort.

Boston Bruins

It's hard to argue that the Bruins won't be a contender to repeat when they have a very large portion of their roster remaining intact, including superstar goalie Tim Thomas. Unfortunately for them, they have a lot standing in the way. There's the infamous championship hangover that seems to follow a team on it's way down from the top. There's also the unfortunate truth that, until a key moment in the finals that left Nathan Horton babbling senselessly on the ice, the Bruins were being handily beaten in every area of the game, even if they were low scoring affairs. If a moment like that is required to galvanize your team every time you need a win, you're in trouble.

Tampa Bay Lightning

The Lightning were about as close as you could have gotten to underdogs last year. They really had no business being in the playoffs (as usual), and somehow they not only made it in, they excelled. Trouble is, now they're on the radar. Steven Stamkos (who should just about have his nose back by now) and Martain St. Louis have very much shown they can perform when needed, which could be good news or bad news, depending on how you look at it. Either way, they were a goal away from the finals last year. If the Vancouver Canucks haven't kicked themselves enough over the summer, the Lightning surely have.

Detroit Red Wings

Because honestly, Detroit is about the closest thing to a Dynasty that the NHL still has (and no, the Penguins don't count. Let's talk after a few more seasons, Sid). Pavel Datsyuk is probably about all they would need in the first place, which is good since they lost Chris Osgood, Brian Rafalski, and Kris Draper to retirement. But those gaps will hardly be noticeable behind the skills of Henrik Zetterberg, Darren Helm (expect him to step up big this season), Johan Franzen, and more. The only thing in the way? Whether they can find the motivation. It's easy to say "We want it bad" at the first puck drop of the season, but let's see how they feel after 82 games do their work on the aged bodies of these guys.

New York Rangers

The Rangers have been inching closer and closer each year, and while they probably don't have as much of a chance as some of the other teams on this list, they're certainly there. They won the Brad Richards lottery over the summer (which probably wasn't extremely hard when you consider the coaching staff of the Rangers) and, love him or hate him, Sean Avery is a formidable player for them. While they don't have some of the larger factors for them, they also don't have crazy fans, a need for motivational punishment, or half the team retiring in the way either. A decent guess might put them in round 2, maybe 3. A stretch would put them in the finals, and at that point, it's all up to them.