There are only 13 days remaining in the NHL season and the march to the Stanley Cup playoffs is in full swing.
Six clubs have clinched a spot in the postseason entering Monday, while several other teams are jockeying for position.
Out of the teams that have clinched so far, here are our early rankings for their odds of winning it all. To view this article in slideshow form, CLICK START at the top right of this page.
6) St. Louis Blues
It's been a great year for the Blues thus far, but they have a lot of history to overcome to be taken as a serious Stanley Cup threat. St. Louis has lost in the first round each of the past three seasons, including blowing 2-0 series leads twice.
The Blues have been able to overcome a rash of injuries and enter Monday with a 45-22-9 mark (99 points), placing them in second in the tight Central division. Armed with a deep unit, led by Vladimir Tarasenko (35 goals), St. Louis can be a threat if it doesn't fall apart early in the spring again.
5) Chicago Blackhawks
The Blackhawks have a championship pedigree -- as evidenced by their three Cups in six years -- and always poses a threat come spring time. Chicago, however, went through a really tough stretch in March and could end up entering the playoffs on uneven ground.
Hart Trophy favorite Patrick Kane (NHL-best 94 goals) and Jonathan Toews provide great leadership and know what it takes to win, while Chicago also boasts Artemi Panarin, who leads all rookies with 64 points. The Blackhawks enter Monday with a 44-25-7 record (95 points) and are in third place in the Central.
4) Los Angeles Kings
The Kings are always dangerous once this time of year comes around, as evidenced by their two Stanley Cups in the past four seasons. After missing the playoffs last year in defense of their second Cup, Los Angeles is on pace to win the Pacific Division, which it leads with a 45-25-5 record (95 points).
Anze Kopitar is eighth in the NHL with 68 points this season, while Jonathan Quick ranks fifth with a 2.05 goals-against average, and second with 38 wins. The Kings are also stingy, having allowed just 2.31 goals per game.
3) Dallas Stars
The Stars have had a tremendous regular season, but they'll have to prove they can be battle-tested come playoff time. Dallas has only made the postseason once in the last six seasons, a quarterfinal loss to the Ducks in the 2013-14 campaign.
Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin, when he returns from injury, form a tremendous 1-2 punch for the Stars. Benn is second 83 points and third with 33 goals this season, while Seguin is tied for fifth in points (73). Dallas leads the NHL with 245 goals-for and leads the Central division with a 45-22-9 record and 99 points.
2) Anaheim Ducks
The Ducks seemed poised to be a dominant team this season, but had a terrible start to the campaign. Anaheim has bounced back nicely down the stretch to become one of the most imposing teams in the NHL. The Ducks have improved gradually over the last three years, losing in the quarterfinals, semifinals and conference finals.
Anaheim is 41-23-10 (92 points) and just three points shy of Los Angeles for the division lead. The major strength for the Ducks is on special teams, as they have the top power play (23.7 percent) and penalty kill (86.6 percent) in the NHL.
1) Washington Capitals
It's been a magical year for the Capitals and they seem poised to finally make it to the next level. Washington has yet to pass the second round in the Alex Ovechkin Era, but it boasts a deeper lineup than most of its previous seasons. The Capitals are eyeing the Presidents' Trophy by leading the NHL with 111 points.
The Capitals are tied for the league lead with a power play that converts 23.7 percent of the time. Ovechkin leads the NHL with 33 goals -- 17 of which have come on the man-advantage. Evgeny Kuznetsov (73 points) has also had a breakout year, while Braden Holtby leads the NHL in wins (45) and ranks tied for fifth in GAA (2.21).
