The Stanley Cup. There's something tantalizingly mystifying about the best trophy in sports. Even mentioning it can conjure up the kind of excitement that makes watching springtime NHL hockey so uniquely awesome. With most teams in the league having already eclipsed the 70-game mark, the push to the Cup is most definitely on – buckle up, things are about to get spicy.

With roughly three weeks left on the NHL schedule, there's no better time to take a look at the top-10 Stanley Cup threats, and, for fun, their current Las Vegas betting odds, to take home the most important piece of hardware in hockey.

Which teams have the best shot at Lord Stanley? Let's tap in.

10. Vancouver Canucks (+1500)

We can already feel the keyboard warriors cooking up the hate for the Canucks only sitting at 10th on this list despite currently sitting tied as the NHL's top team with an impressive 98 points. However, before the button mashing ensues, there are some obvious concerns when it comes to Vancouver's ability to take on the other juggernauts of the Western Conference and go on a prolonged spring run.

At the forefront of those concerns has to be the health of starting goaltender Thatcher Demko, who, before going down with injury earlier in March, was having an absolutely sensational season to the tune of 34 wins, five shutouts, a 2.47 goals-against average, and .917 save percentage. No disrespect to backup Casey DeSmith, but he's not the guy to carry this team into May and June. Demko is supposed to be back in the Canucks' lineup ahead of the playoffs, but will he return to his previous Vezina-level form? How much game action will he see before being thrown to the first-round wolves? Can he step right back in and perform in the clutch with only four games of postseason action under his belt?

Only time will tell. For now, Vancouver sits tenth on our Cup threats list.

9. Tampa Bay Lightning (+3000)

Don't ever sleep on a team flaunting three trips to the big dance and two freshly-hung banners in the rafters in the past five seasons. That would be a mistake. As for Vegas oddsmakers, clearly they're not buying into what Tampa Bay is selling this season – but maybe they should. The Bolts have clearly had their ups and downs, and there is no denying the fact they are currently a wild-card team with nothing guaranteed.

Nevertheless, the Lightning are well coached, they're balanced and experienced up front, and they have one of best defenseman in the NHL in Victor Hedman who is once again putting together a Norris-worthy campaign. The major difference maker for the Lightning has to be Andrei Vasilevskiy, who will need to be much better than his 2.94 GAA and .897 SV. % this season if Jon Cooper's crew wants to be on the ice instead of the greens come May.

8. Boston Bruins (+1100)

It's hard to talk about the Stanley Cup and not mention the Bruins. Over the past 15 seasons, few franchises have been this consistently good, as Boston has punched a postseason ticket in 13 of those 15 campaigns. Although, with that said, if you take away the Bruins' elite goaltending duo of Jeremy Swayman and reigning Vezina winner Linus Ullmark, there are a lot of holes in this Boston lineup. Especially up front.

Sure, career years from the likes of Pavel Zacha and Charlie Coyle and another sensational season from David Pastrnak clearly have helped things on the offensive end, but the Bruins just do not have enough firepower or offensive depth to go through teams like the Florida Panthers, New York Rangers, or Carolina Hurricanes, let alone the offensive beasts out west in the likes of the Colorado Avalanche, Edmonton Oilers, and Dallas Stars. For comparison’s sake, Boston went into their first-round meeting with Florida last year sitting with the second-most goals scored, while this time around the Bs sit in ninth.

Boston was outgunned a season ago while getting bounced by the Panthers in the first round and unless Swayman or Ullmark stand on their head every single night, the Bruins might find themselves picking up the pieces from another early exit. For that reason, they sit in the eight spot.

7. Vegas Golden Knights (+1300)

This one is simple, the reigning Champs with a roster like the Golden Knights are going to be on this list. Bottom line. Vegas pushed all-in at the trade deadline with additions of Tomas Hertl, Noah Hanafin, and to a lesser extent, Anthony Mantha. However, factor in Adin Hill's uncertain injury status and the Knight's precarious postseason position, Vegas can't be higher on this list. With only a four-point cushion on the surging St. Louis Blues for the final wild-card spot, Vegas is going to have to be much more consistent at both ends of the ice if they want to be playing in May. If they do get in, look out. There aren't many teams as balanced as the Knights.  

6. Dallas Stars (+950)

Much like the Tampa Bay Lightning in terms of their number one netminder needing to be the difference maker down the stretch, the Dallas Stars are in a very similar situation when it comes to starting goaltender Jake Oettinger. Despite a solid 28-13-4 record, Oettinger's underlying numbers actually point to a fairly disappointing season for a goalie who finished fifth in Vezina voting only last season.

Given the makeup of the Stars' deep and talented forward group and a blue line anchored by one of the best in the business in Miro Heiskanen, Oettinger really is the piece to complete the puzzle in Big D. If he can return to last season's form, which many expect he can, the Stars will be one of the last teams standing. Book it.

5. New York Rangers (+1100)

There's a lot of similarities for most of the teams on our list: top-two lines loaded with offensive talent, deep blue-line cores, and a Vezina-worthy goaltender capable of stealing a series or two. New York definitely checks all those boxes and then some, especially when Igor Shesterkin is on his game, something he's been on over the last month while registering a 11-3-1 record to go along with a .936 SV.% and three shutouts.

The Rangers were relatively quiet at the deadline, choosing to bring in peripheral pieces in Jack Roslovic and Alexander Wennberg instead of swinging for the fences and sacrificing players like Kaapo Kakko and Alexis Lafreniere, allowing New York to roll four balanced lines every single night. Elite special teams play can be the difference maker in the postseason and the Rangers are currently rocking the fourth-best power-play and sixth-best penalty kill in the NHL. This team is built for springtime hockey. 

4. Carolina Hurricanes (+700)

The positive vibes around this Carolina team right now are palpable. Aside from the obvious boost that bringing in two big-name forwards in Jake Guentzel and Evgeny Kuznetsov brings, the Hurricanes also have No. 1 goaltender Freddie Andersen back in fine form and winning. Take in Andersen's numbers since returning from blood-clotting issues: 10-1-0, 2.05 GAA, .925 SV.%, and a shutout. Carolina also allows the least shots-against per game at an impressively low 25.9, so needless to say, getting quality against the Canes can be tricky.

Carolina has only one regulation loss in its last 10 games and is playing some of its best hockey at the most opportune time of the NHL season. The book has been out on the Canes for quite some time in terms of what they lack in offensive depth, but that was addressed at the deadline and now Rod Brind'Amour's crew has the teeth it needs to take a big bite out of the Eastern Conference.

3. Edmonton Oilers (+800)

Ever since the Oilers fired Jay Woodcroft and cleaned up their messy defensive schemes with Kris Knoblauch holding the clipboard, Edmonton has been a dangerous team to play against. You might have heard about Connor McDavid, he's pretty solid, and Leon Draisaitl is decent, but take a look at the real star of this team in Zach Hyman, who joined Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart and Toronto Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews as the only three players with a 50-piece of goals this season. In all seriousness, when McDavid is performing at the level he's currently on, the Oilers rarely lose games.

As is the case with a few other teams on this list, the difference maker has to be in the crease with Stuart Skinner. The Oilers' blue-paint predicament has been well documented over the past number of seasons and this campaign was no different, as Skinner and Jack Campbell made a mockery of Edmonton's backend for the first month of the year. However, Skinner has bounced back and regained the form that saw him finish second in Calder Trophy voting as the best rookie in the NHL.

If Skinner can steal a game or two for Edmonton in May, expect the Oilers to be sticking around come Cup time.

2. Colorado Avalanche (+700)

Speaking of which, how can you not love this Avalanche team? At least in terms of offensive output, no one in the NHL is better than Colorado. The Avs sit tops in total goals this season with a whopping 267 goals and they can score in bunches. Colorado also, arguably, has the best top-line in the NHL in Valeri Nichushkin, Nathan MacKinnon, and Mikko Rantanen and also the best defensive pairing in Cale Makar and Devon Toews.

Experience, a top-end defensive pairing, and three scoring lines loaded with firepower make the Avalanche a true Cup threat – one that will be extremely tough to beat if netminder Alexander Georgiev can figure it out and allow this offensive group to do its thing.

1. Florida Panthers (+650)

The Panthers are the Vegas favourite for the Stanley Cup and they deserve it.

Proving last year's improbable run to the final was no fluke, Florida has been sensational basically all season long. Straight up and down, the Panthers are just a really tough team to play against. Bruising backend of beastly blue-liners anchors the Florida attack and they have one of the best in the business in the blue-paint in Sergei Bobrovsky. Paul Maurice also deserves a lot of credit, as he has his team clicking at both ends of the ice with the Cats allowing the least goals-against this season while touting the second-best goal differential, fourth-best power-play unit, and seventh-most efficient penalty-killing crew.

Florida will be a force to be reckoned with once the puck drops on the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.