Whether it's a veteran trying to win the Cup or an all-around fan favorite, Mike Stephens lists a player per team to cheer for in the 2023 NHL playoffs.
Whether it's a veteran trying to win the Cup or an all-around fan favorite, Mike Stephens lists a player per team to cheer for in the 2023 NHL playoffs.
If your favorite NHL team missed the playoffs, but you can't fathom rooting for another squad, there are always players who many in the hockey world would be happy to see have success.
Here's a player on each 2023 NHL post-season team to root for throughout the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Boston Bruins: Nick Foligno
It's difficult to steer away from solely choosing old guys who want a Cup when making lists like these, but sometimes, it's inevitable.
Nick Foligno is an enormously respected veteran in hockey circles, someone lauded for his dedication to the defensive aspects of the game as well as his steadiness and leadership abilities. If he was just a run-of-the-mill veteran, he might've qualified for this distinction anyway given he only has so many years left to get a ring.
But that's not all there is to it. The fact that Foligno even remained a Bruin throughout the early stretch of the season was far from guaranteed.
The guy was waived by the club after training camp, going unclaimed by all 31 other NHL teams before sticking in Boston. A guy of Foligno's stature and, frankly, his pay grade could've sulked at the fact his employer was willing to get rid of him for free. But not Foligno, who worked his way back in the Bruins' rotation and ended up potting a respectable 26 points in 60 games.
Toronto Maple Leafs: Mark Giordano
I mean, where do you even begin?
Mark Giordano is a hometown kid, playing for the team he and his entire family grew up cheering on from their home in Toronto. He's come in and provided an element of wisdom and steadiness the Leafs lacked before his arrival and has stepped up mightily whenever called upon. Not only that, when facing free agency last summer, Giordano took a smidge over league minimum to re-sign with the Leafs when he otherwise could've tripled that on the open market.
Giordano does just about everything for Toronto, and there's a good chance he'd be the first recipient of the Cup if this cursed franchise managed to win it.
Tampa Bay Lightning: Corey Perry
Look, you might not like how Corey Perry plays. Heck, I don't like how Corey Perry plays. But anyone who goes to the Stanley Cup final three years in a row with three different franchises only to come up empty-handed gets my sympathy.
The guy already has a ring of his own, so it's not as if his inability to reach the top of the mountain is a crying shame. But still, on a team filled with guys who have experienced success almost exclusively over the past few years, Perry's lack of hardware is enough to earn this nod.
Florida Panthers: Alex Lyon
I covered the AHL for three years and have a soft spot for veteran journeymen who endure the empty rinks and long bus rides purely for the love of the game. Sue me – I'm a softie.
Alex Lyon is one of those guys. This is a 30-year-old who has played professional hockey for eight seasons and has just 41 games of NHL experience under his belt. When he was called upon to keep the Panthers' season alive in the midst of their playoff push, Lyon had an .881 save percentage. And yet, Lyon took those reigns and ran with them, supplanting $10-million man Sergei Bobrovsky as Florida's No. 1 option and leading the club to a 1-1 series draw with possibly the best regular-season team of all-time.
That's pretty darn cool if you ask me. An Alex Lyon Cup run would warm my heart, and it should warm yours, too.
Carolina Hurricanes: Brent Burns
Old Guy Looking For a Cup Alert!
Burns has gotten close before, making the final in 2016 with the Sharks while also playing a key role in that core that constantly failed to get over the hump.
At the ripe old age of 38, Burns is still firing on all cylinders. He finished with nearly 20 goals and 61 points as a defenseman this season despite inching toward AARP eligibility. He's also a quirky fella that seems to genuinely enjoy playing hockey for a living, and, quite frankly, we need more of that these days.
New York Rangers: Jaroslav Halak
He won't see the ice unless starter Igor Shesterkin goes south, so it's tough to "cheer" for Jaroslav Halak, necessarily. But on a team filled with stars who have either already won or are just now entering their primes, Halak is the quintessential old guy to root for.
It's not as if Halak is a stranger to playoff success, either. In fact, he's arguably the most memorable example of how much a goalie can influence the outcome of a series, stringing together a legendary performance for the Montreal Canadiens back in 2010 that helped them upset the No. 1 seed Washington Capitals in the first round.
Wouldn't it be cool to see him finally get his ring all these years later?
New York Islanders: Bo Horvat
This one is purely fuelled by spite.
Nothing would be better than Bo Horvat, the consummate professional who was saddled with nearly a decade of endless headaches by the Canucks and their management, winning a Cup the second he leaves Vancouver.
It seems as if Horvat has found a stable and successful home that will allow his skill to be showcased during the most meaningful time of year. Good for him. We all want to stunt on our exes, right?
New Jersey Devils: Nico Hischier
Aside from being an extremely talented young player at the forefront of a potential juggernaut, Nico Hischier would also become the first Swiss native to captain his team to a Cup in NHL history.
That's pretty rad, in my humble opinion, and could do wonders to further stoke the flame of a burgeoning national hockey program in his home country.
Colorado Avalanche: Samuel Girard
Given they just won the Cup a year ago and nearly every major piece of the team is returning this time around, choosing a candidate on this stacked Avalanche roster is tough.
But then, you remember something. Despite being a consistent top-four staple of their vaunted blueline, Samuel Girard didn't play beyond the second round during their 2022 run. That's because the 24-year-old broke his sternum versus the St. Louis Blues and was sidelined for the remainder of the playoffs, forced to watch from afar as his teammates accomplished what he'd worked so hard to do.
He has a ring that no one will ever be able to take away from him. But I'm sure Girard is hoping to be in the lineup on the night the Avs seal the deal this time around.
Dallas Stars: Joe Pavelski
Yet another Cup-less veteran pick, albeit with merit.
Joe Pavelski would've been my choice for the Star to root for even before Matt Dumba nearly knocked him out in Game 1. But now that there's yet another hurdle placed in his path to that elusive Cup, Pavelski is the obvious choice.
The guy is 38 years old, plays a style of game that seems to go against everything the NHL is moving toward and still produces close to point-per-game totals on a yearly basis. He's as respected as they come in hockey circles, and the Stars rallied around their teammate's injury to stomp the Wild 7-3 on Wednesday night and even the series.
Easy choice.
Minnesota Wild: Marc-Andre Fleury
It's Marc-Andre Fleury.
Next question.
Winnipeg Jets: Connor Hellebuyck
He seems invincible, and for good reason, but Connor Hellebuyck is turning 30 in a month – therein placing him on the other side of the goaltending aging curve.
Considering that he's a superhuman talent, there's a chance Hellebuyck outruns Father Time for quite a while. But reaching that three-decade milestone means no year can be taken for granted in the scope of Hellebuyck's career.
After being one of the best goaltenders of his generation, Hellebuyck has obviously yet to win a Cup. His chances could be limited in Winnipeg, at least, given how rocky this season went for the Jets after a hot start. This post-season could be the best chance Hellebuyck has to earn that elusive hardware with the team that drafted him.
Vegas Golden Knights: Jack Eichel
It's bad for hockey when a former No. 2 pick and one of the best youngest players in the game doesn't even come close to seeing playoff action through the first six years of his career. Jack Eichel endured that in Buffalo and now, finally, has reached the post-season with the Golden Knights.
Add in the fact that Eichel overcame a neck injury that required a risky surgery and returned to score at a point-per-game clip the next year, and you have what we in the biz like to call "Narrative Bingo."
Edmonton Oilers: Connor McDavid
Do I need to explain this one?
It's Connor McDavid, perhaps the single most talented hockey player the world has ever seen. Any success that comes his way is good for the sport. Now that he's finally armed with a roster that isn't actively dragging him down, the sky is the limit.
Los Angeles Kings: Trevor Moore
This one is entirely personal to me. I love Trevor Moore. I had my eyes opened to his game during the Toronto Maple Leafs' rookie tournament in 2017, chronicled his run to a Calder Cup championship that same year and watched his evolution into a legitimate NHLer ever since.
Now playing in his home state for the Kings, Moore is a valuable piece of Los Angeles' core after fighting and clawing his way to where he is as an undrafted and undersized free agent.
Go win a Cup, Trev.
Seattle Kraken: Jordan Eberle
I want everyone on the Kraken to succeed, honestly. Look at what a Cup run so early into their existence as a franchise did to Vegas. Seattle could add that kind of boost for themselves with a little luck here and there. And boy, wouldn't that be sweet?
But Jordan Eberle is something different.
He lost his confidence in Edmonton seeing articles that tore apart his play during his time as an Oiler despite producing with some of the worst supporting casts in modern NHL history. For him to finally reach the top of the mountain after all that would be as sweet as pie.