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Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press

The 2016 Stanley Cup playoffs showed, among other things, the futility of trying to predict the outcome of an NHL season.

Entering those playoffs, five of the last six Stanley Cups were won by either the Chicago Blackhawks or Los Angeles Kings. Both Chicago and L.A. were knocked out early, with the Kings winning a single game and the Blackhawks failing to advance beyond the first round. The other title in that six-year span was claimed by the Boston Bruins, a team that didn't even qualify to compete in the postseason.

The Pittsburgh Penguins' triumph wasn't exactly unprecedented, as the team had won it all with many of the same stars back in 2009, but in many ways, it too would have caught us by surprise a year ago. This is, after all, a team that had advanced past the second round just once in the seven-year interlude between championships. We might have been even more skeptical had we known in advance the Pens would fire their coach at midseason and start the postseason with its third-string goalie in net.

Nevertheless, we're going to take a stab at ranking each club's chances of winning it all next year. Every general manager in the league needs to have an idea of his team's odds of hoisting the Cup so as to properly map out his summer. For fans, the exercise is more enjoyable than essential, but it's still worthwhile.

Read on with us, then, as we take a very early look at every team's Stanley Cup chances.