Do you want to know a little fun fact, dear reader? There hasn't been a President's Trophy winner who also won the Stanley Cup since 2013. Fans will remember the Chicago Blackhawks that ran ragshod all over the NHL that year. You remember the names, whether it's Joel Quenneville (now coaching the Anaheim Ducks) or Patrick Kane.
If you want to actually get technical, look back to 2007-08. That was the last time a President's Trophy winner won the Stanley Cup in a full, non-lockout season. That was when the Detroit Red Wings defeated a young Sidney Crosby (yes, he was around back then) and the Pittsburgh Penguins, 4-2.
That's a long time, which should put the Colorado Avalanche at a disadvantage. After all, history has a funny way of implementing its harsh lessons onto the most cocky. That could be what the Vegas Golden Knights need, especially when they're facing this season's President's Trophy winner.
So, let's look at the predictions, shall we? Will the Golden Knights do the impossible and shock the world? Or will the Avalanche build on their impressive 8-1 record and make it to the Stanley Cup Final? That's the big question that the peeps at Vegas Hockey Knight will answer (to the best of their abilities, of course).
Jacob Walters
I've heard everything from the Colorado Avalanche on my TikTok page. I've heard rabid fans proclaim that their team will win in four or five games. My, what a President's Trophy can do for a team's complex, eh?
But there are some concerns with the Avalanche. For one, injuries are also a concern for Colorado. Players like Cale Makar (upper-body), Sam Malinski (upper-body), and Brett Burns (undisclosed) represent a wounded defenseman group, leaving some "Mile High" fans concerned.
Of course, there's also the Tortorella crew coming in with a ton of swagger. We're talking about going 15-4-1 in a 20-game stretch. That could surprise many people in this series, specifically if Colorado continues to deal with many injuries.
Still, Vegas has some concerns. If Mark Stone and Jeremy Lauzon miss time during the series, that will be a major problem. I'm assuming that will be the case as the Avs win in 6.
Robert Lazar
In a word, the Colorado Avalanche are... terrifying. Perennial Hart candidate Nathan MacKinnon, perennial Norris candidate Cale Makar, and late-bloomer star goalie Scott Wedgewood headline the President's Trophy winners, who boast an 8-1 playoff record entering the Western Conference Finals.
They get scoring from evey level, their defensemen are rock-solid, and they just stomped out an excellent Minnesota Wild team in five after slaughtering the Los Angeles Kings. On paper, I'd be fatalistic. But...
...I'm not. Vegas has shown a great ability to fight back in the face of adversity during these playoffs, recovering quickly from blown leads and blown momentum against both the Ducks and the Mammoth. Hell, they just demolished Anaheim in Game 6, 5-1, despite missing Mark Stone, Jeremy Lauzon, and Brayden McNabb, acting as a comeback team all year. My head says Colorado in six, but my heart says...
Vegas in seven and back to the Finals.
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