It’s playoff time, and almost everyone knows who they’re rooting for. Almost everyone.
Obviously, half the league’s fan bases get to watch their own team in the postseason, so that’s easy. Of the teams that didn’t make it, plenty of you will be hate-watching a rival, rooting for whoever they happen to be playing. That’s always a bit weird, but we’ve all been there, so do your thing. And of course, you’ve got the Team Chaos sickos, who just want to watch the world burn.
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Then there’s the group that won’t root for anyone, because you don’t get to have a second favorite team any more than you can have a second favorite spouse. You’ve committed to one team, and if they’re not in the playoffs then that’s the end of that. You can still watch, but you’re going to do it as a neutral party, and you feel very strongly about this.
That leaves one last group of fans, and it’s a bigger one than you might think: The bandwagon brigade. These are the fans who are willing to pick a temporary team for the next few weeks or months. For these fans, the playoffs are just more fun when you’ve got someone to root for, and if your team didn’t make it then that means you need a short-term fling. Debate the ethics of it all you want, but these fans are out there, and we’re not here to judge.
Today’s column is for them, because if you’re going to bandwagon hop, you want to at least do it wisely. For the truly undecided, let’s cover the pros and cons of who you should consider throwing your support behind. As always, we want a team that has a decent chance of winning but won’t make you feel like too much of a front-runner, with bonus points for likable players and/or a neat subplot or two. Oh, and you’d prefer the games are exciting, because nobody’s got time to bandwagon a defensive battle.
Spoiler alert: This year, there is a right answer. But we’ll start at the other end of the list …
16. Washington Capitals
Why you should get on board: Alexander Ovechkin is still ridiculously cool to watch, and we know that their Cup celebrations are the stuff of legends.
Why you shouldn’t: They already won in 2018, and while that team was eminently bandwagonable, you kind of missed your window. More importantly, they’re heavy underdogs in the first round, they’ve been cold down the stretch, and the goaltending isn’t good, so you’re probably going to need a new team in two weeks.
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Bottom line: There’s something to be said about picking an underdog and riding them through a surprise run, but this isn’t the year to take the Caps.
15. Nashville Predators
Why you should get on board: They’re a likable team that’s never won a Cup, and their fans are super cool while also seeming like the type of fan base that wouldn’t get all weird about welcoming a few new friends onto the bandwagon.
Why you shouldn’t: They’re going to get absolutely destroyed by the Avalanche.
Bottom line: Or will they? Look, no guts no glory, and fortune favors the bold. If the Predators can pull this off, or even make a series out of it, you’re going to see the hockey world perk up quickly. Getting in on the ground floor of something special is always fun, so there’s a certain “what-the-hell” appeal here. But yeah, you’re probably getting five games as a best case.
14. Pittsburgh Penguins
Why you should get on board: It may be the last ride of the Crosby/Malkin/Letang era.
Why you shouldn’t: That era has already produced three Cups, so they’ve had their fill. Also, their goalie broke his foot right before the playoffs. You might want to take the hint.
Bottom line: Look, Crosby’s cool and you should absolutely root for him when you get the chance. I recommend the next World Cup.
13. Los Angeles Kings
Why you should get on board: They’re a fun, young team whose best years are still ahead of them, but with a few likable veterans still in the mix. They’ve won two Cups in the last decade but did a full rebuild since the last one, so there’s no front-running here. And they’ve got a decent shot at winning at least a round.
Why you shouldn’t: It’s terrifying enough to face Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl when you have no choice, why would you ever want to volunteer?
Bottom line: While they could absolutely knock out the Oilers, it’s hard to imagine the Kings going all the way. A smart bandwagon pick is often all about timing, and this one feels a year or two early.
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12. Tampa Bay Lightning
Why you should get on board: They’re a super entertaining team with a ton of talent, and they certainly know how to win in the playoffs. As an added bonus, they’re playing the Maple Leafs, who are always fun to root against.
Why you shouldn’t: They’ve won the last two Cups, so this would be the front-runner pick of all front-runner picks. Also, Corey Perry.
Bottom line: I know, I know, you thought they’d be No. 16. Maybe they should be. But this team has a chance to pull off a three-peat that nobody else has managed in 40 years. In the parity era, that would be an almost impossible feat, and on some level it’s worth rooting for. It’s still classic front-running, so I can’t move them any higher up the list than this. But we should be willing to reward excellence, and the Lightning have been the league’s model franchise for years. Just think about it, OK?
11. Boston Bruins
Why you should get on board: This could be the last shot for Patrice Bergeron, at least in Boston, so there’s a real “closing window” vibe. Pathos aside, this is a good team, and you deserve to root for David Pastrnak. As an added bonus, they finished as a wild card, so you can pretend you picked an underdog even though they’re far from a real one.
Why you shouldn’t: Brad Marchand exists. Also, it’s Boston, so come on.
Bottom line: Remember, they’re crossing over to the Metro, and it would be very funny to finally see a team win a division they weren’t in.
10. St. Louis Blues
Why you should get on board: Because if you don’t, their coach will break your face. Oh, the team’s pretty good too.
Why you shouldn’t: They won the Stanley Cup in 2019. That was one of the most entertaining playoff runs in a while, and we still have “Gloria” stuck in our heads because of it, but it’s tough to defend a bandwagon jump to a team that won this recently.
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Bottom line: Everyone seems to agree that the Blues and Wild will go seven games, so know what you’re getting into.
9. Dallas Stars
Why you should get on board: They’re big-time underdogs, but unlike the Predators, they at least feel like they could have a puncher’s chance. You could invest in Tyler Seguin’s comeback, Joe Pavelski’s OGWAC status, Rick Bowness chasing his first Cup, and Jason Roberton existing. It’s a solid package.
Why you shouldn’t: They’re still probably losing in five.
Bottom line: Some bandwagon fans love an underdog, and if you ever manage to hit the right one then you’re in for a fun ride. I’m not sure the Stars have it in them, but if you insist on rolling the dice, you could do a lot worse.
8. New York Rangers
Why you should get on board: They’re a fun mix of youngsters and established stars, not to mention the best goalie in the league this year. They missed the playoffs last year and haven’t won a playoff game since 2017, so you’re certainly not front-running. But they’re also really good, and maybe even the Metro favorites.
Why you shouldn’t: It’s still New York, so let’s not take this plucky underdog vibe too far. Plus you’re volunteering to invest your emotional well-being in a James Dolan team, and might want to check with some NBA fans on how that usually goes.
Bottom line: Admit it, you kind of want to get irrationally mad about Sidney Crosby one more time.
7. Carolina Hurricanes
Why you should get on board: They’re good, but more importantly, they’re fun. If you’re sick of grumpy old hockey fans rambling on about tradition and history and how everything was better in the 1940s, the Hurricanes are for you.
Why you shouldn’t: While everything in that last paragraph is true, it’s also been the case for a few years now, so picking the Hurricanes now has a bit of a “late to the party” vibe. (They were my number one team two years ago.) Also, they’ve got the toughest first-round matchup of any division winner.
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Bottom line: Look, if Andrei Svechnikov tries a Michigan in playoff overtime and Brad Marchand flips out about how it violates some code, you know which side you’re going to want to be on.
6. Edmonton Oilers
Why you should get on board: It’s a chance to have Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl playing for your team, why wouldn’t you want that?
Why you shouldn’t: You’ll have to trust a 40-year-old goalie and cheer for Evander Kane. They’re also playing the Kings, so you’ll have to pretend that you think the playoff format makes sense.
Bottom line: You get all the excitement of watching two of the best players in the world, and when it inevitably goes bad — which it will, because Edmonton — you can walk away smiling and leave the real fans to deal with the scar tissue. Honestly, this one sounds fun.
5. Toronto Maple Leafs
Why you should get on board: Toronto is always the toughest team to pin down in these rankings, because this is supposed to be for the undecideds and it feels like nobody is ever undecided about the Leafs. You either love them or you hate them, they’re locked in as your No. 1 or your 16, and you certainly don’t need me to tell you how to feel. Fine. But just for the sake of completeness, let’s pretend that there could theoretically be somebody out there who’s on the fence, and this section is for them.
The case for the Leafs is that they’re a super fun team to watch, with a ton of skill and offense and not enough defense and goaltending, which means lots of goals and every game feeling like it’s up for grabs until the very end. They have two excellent OGWACs in Jason Spezza and Mark Giordano, a great story in Jack Campbell and likable stars. And with the longest Cup drought in NHL history and no playoff wins in almost two decades, there’s zero risk of front-running here. Plus you’d be rooting for them to take down the two-time champs.
Why you shouldn’t: It’s the Leafs. Trust me, you don’t need to do this to yourself.
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Bottom line: The two most annoying fan bases in the world are Leaf fans, and fans who hate the Leafs and will never ever stop telling you about it — and that list isn’t necessarily in order. You’re probably best to just steer clear of this mess altogether. But if you’re smart enough to not be on Twitter and just want a fun team to watch for four rounds and/or games, the Leafs are a legitimately great pick.
4. Colorado Avalanche
Why you should get on board: They’re the best team in the league, but haven’t been out of the second round in 20 years, so it’s a rare chance to be a blatant front-runner without taking too much blowback for it. Besides that, how often do you get a chance to root for somebody as talented as Nathan MacKinnon or Cale Makar?
Why you shouldn’t: You’re going to feel at least a little bit guilty while you’re watching them put the boots to the Predators for four games.
Bottom line: They’re an obvious pick, but sometimes an obvious pick is the right one. As long as you’re OK with people rolling their eyes at you picking the favorites, go ahead and don’t look back.
3. Calgary Flames
Why you should get on board: They’re a great team that nobody saw coming, the fan base is fun, they have Johnny Gaudreau, and every hockey fan should really get to enjoy the Darryl Sutter experience at least once. They’re heavy favorites in Round 1 and you’ll have a decent shot at a Battle of Alberta in round two, and if they make it to the conference finals against the Avalanche then most of the hockey world will be cheering them on. Also, they should have made the playoffs last year but Montreal got the spot instead because of the loser point, so the hockey gods kind of owe us this one.
Why you shouldn’t: Are you one of those American fans who’s weirdly proud of Canada not winning a Cup since 1993? You shouldn’t be, but we all have our faults, so feel free to factor that in.
Bottom line: Also, you like Matthew Tkachuk now, and are morally culpable for whatever he does. Still, you’ll get to hear Sutter defend it, so it all evens out. The Flames are a flat-out great pick.
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2. Minnesota Wild
Why you should get on board: They have two of the most likable players in the league in Marc-Andre Fleury and Kirill Kaprizov. Mats Zuccarello is a great OGWAC. There’s a real sense of urgency thanks to a looming cap crisis. It’s an A+ hockey market. They have a key player who got hurt on a dirty hit in the last game of the season, which creates some righteous anger energy. They’re good enough to win the Cup but might not be heavy favorites in a single round they play on the way there. And not only have they only been out of Round 2 once in 21 seasons, their fans have spent pretty much all that time being told how boring their team is. And rightly so, if we’re being honest. But not this year.
Why you shouldn’t: I’m not sure I have a good reason unless you’re convinced the Avalanche are unbeatable and/or are Norm Green.
Bottom line: Any other year, the Wild would be a fantastic pick for top spot. Alas …
1. Florida Panthers
Why you should get on board: Arguably the most maligned fan base in the NHL hasn’t seen so much as a playoff series win since 1996, and now they have the best team in franchise history. They have all sorts of talent and their games are incredibly fun to watch. They signed all-time OGWAC Joe Thornton in the offseason and brought in Claude Giroux at the deadline. They need to stick around long enough for Aaron Ekblad to make it back. Oh, and they won the Presidents’ Trophy.
But here’s the best part: Do you know how they won all those games? By scoring. You kids may not know this, but scoring lots of goals used to be considered a valid way to win hockey games, back before we all decided that grinding out 2-1 snoozefests was the only acceptable strategy. Now we get a Panthers team that scored more goals than anyone since 1996 but was outside of the top 10 in goals allowed because their $10 million goalie sometimes remembers he was once a Flyer. There hasn’t been a team in years that’s as much fun as these guys, and if you jump on the bandwagon now you can hang out with basically the only fan base in the league that nobody hates. What are you waiting for?
Why you shouldn’t: You’re a bad person.
(Or you’re a Blues fan who hates Thornton, but even then, cheer for the Panthers to win it all and then hope he gets healthy-scratched for the clinching game.)
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Bottom line: Look, let’s just lay it on the line. The NHL needs the Panthers to win. A Florida Cup could transform the league back into one where offense and excitement aren’t considered flaws. But if they go out early, we’ll be stuck hearing about how you just can’t win 6-5 in the playoffs, and all the grumpy old hockey men will smirk.
And do you know which team did more than any other to get us into this mess? The 1995-96 Panthers, who clutched and grabbed all the way to the Final and basically ushered in the Dead Puck Era. Everyone blames the 1995 Devils, but they had two HHOFers on the blue line and another in net. The Panthers taught us that all you needed was a decent goalie and a bunch of grizzled veterans who were willing to tackle guys. The lesson was learned, the style caught on, and the NHL hasn’t been as fun ever since.
But now here we are, 25 seasons later, and these same Panthers can undo the damage that they’ve done. They might even have a Stanley Cup Final rematch with the Avalanche waiting for them. It’s the perfect scenario, with the perfect protagonist, and we all win if it comes true. I called it way back in Week 1 and I’m doubling down now: The Panthers are your team.
(Top photo: Michael Martin / NHLI via Getty Images)
