The Tampa Bay Lightning are obviously the favorite to win the Stanley Cup this year. They won the Presidents’ Trophy with 128 points, seemingly had a playoff spot clinched by December and have Nikita Kucherov, who had a pretty decent season.



So is this the rare postseason where the best regular-season team raises the Cup? Or another time where a surprise team gets hot at the right moment?



Our panel of 52 NHL writers voted for the Stanley Cup champion, Conn Smythe winner, most overrated team and dark horse; plus they predicted the winner of each first-round series.



Pierre LeBrun: I know it’s not sexy picking the team that won 62 games in the regular season to win the Stanley Cup. But maybe it’s actually gutsy since the last team that won 62 games didn’t win the Cup? Not to mention the lacklustre record of Presidents’ Trophy winners taking home the Stanley Cup. So really, I’m digging deep here and taking a huge gamble...