We’re down to the final eight teams left in the 2023-24 NHL season. The first round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs separated the contenders from the pretenders, and the second round has officially begun.
Related: Ranking the Best Former Ducks in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs (Nos. 5-1)
Recently, we ranked former members of the Anaheim Ducks that were playing for teams that qualified for the postseason. Many remain in contention for hockey’s ultimate prize. Now that we have a smaller pool, let’s rank some of these former players’ chances to take home a championship.
5. Frederik Andersen – Carolina Hurricanes
Frederik Andersen returned from a serious blood-clotting issue in March and has played sensational hockey since then. He was stellar in the Carolina Hurricanes’ first-round series win over the New York Islanders, where he went 4-1 and gave up three goals or less in each game. Nobody, however, will mistake the New York Rangers, Andersen and the Canes’ second-round opponent, for the New York Islanders even if they do only play 20 miles apart.
Andersen and the Hurricanes have their hands full with the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Rangers, which is why, out of the many former Ducks still playing hockey, Andersen has the worst chance to advance. Sure, it’s possible he delivers the series of his life and backstops the Hurricanes to an Eastern Conference Final berth, but the Rangers are too potent offensively. They have shown it in the series’ first two games so far, with back-to-back four-goal games. Andersen and the Hurricanes will fight and might make it interesting, but the Rangers should be moving on.
4. Pat Maroon/Hampus Lindholm/Danton Heinen/Kevin Shattenkirk – Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins, who have the most former Ducks of any team left in the playoffs, found themselves just in time to steal Game 7 from the Toronto Maple Leafs. They followed that up with a convincing win over the Florida Panthers in Game 1. Jeremy Swayman is feeling it right now, and a hot goaltender who can hold off the opposition just long enough for the players in front of him to score enough goals is all you need to make a deep run. It helps that guys like Pat Maroon and Hampus Lindholm have continued to play valuable roles and make timely contributions.
Will that be enough to knock off the Panthers, however? They have a top-six that probably holds an edge over the Bruins. After David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand, you’re just not sure what you are going to…
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