Ranking The Western Conference Stanley Cup Playoff Matchups By Intrigue Levels

The NHL regular season is officially in the books, and that means it's time for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The final night of the season did have some effect on the playoffs as the Los Angeles Kings and Vegas Golden Knights seeding was officially determined.

So, now that everything is solidified, let's see what we can look forward to watching.

Yesterday, we discussed the intrigue levels of the Eastern Conference matchups, and now it's time to turn the (patent-pending) Intrigue-O-Meter on the Western Conference.

The Western Conference looks like it could be pretty tough because there are at least four maybe five teams that if you said to me, "They're going all the way," I could see it.

So, without further ado, here's what we've got.

Can the Oilers finally make a run to the Stanley Cup Final? (Credit: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports)

Edmonton Oilers-Los Angeles Kings

The Oilers are the Western Conference’s Toronto Maple Leafs. They’re preseason favorites to win the Cup despite showing almost no postseason success.

However, I think McDavid and the boys are inching toward making a run.

The Oilers had a horrible start to the season that led to a coaching change and their starting goalie doing a stint in the AHL (ironically, the latter happened to the Leafs too). But they turned it around and even had a lengthy winning streak.

The depth and goaltending are better than they’ve ever been in the McDavid-Draisaitl era, and I think they’ll make quick work of the Kings team that probably didn’t even expect to make the playoffs back in October, let alone steal the third seed in the Pacific Division.

I don’t think there will be much to see here, and I think the Oilers will breeze through this one in as few as 5 games, maybe even sweep.

Intrigue-O-Meter: 5.5 out of 10. Cool to pop on if you can’t sleep, but don’t feel like you need to stay up for this one.

The Dallas Stars and Vegas Golden Knights are meeting up for a rematch of the 2023 Western Conference Final. (Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports)

Dallas Stars-Vegas Golden Knights

We’ve got ourselves a rematch of the 2023 Western Conference Final and it’s coming way sooner than the Golden Knights probably would’ve liked.

Vegas dropped into the final wild card spot while Dallas comes in as the top team out west. That normally doesn’t make for an intriguing matchup (see Rangers-Capitals) but the recent clash between the two could make this interesting.

A lot of people — myself included — think the Stars could go all the way, and Vegas will be a good first test. Sure, this wasn’t one of the franchise’s best seasons, but there’s a lot of playoff experience on that cap-circumventing roster of theirs.

I think this is Dallas’ series to lose, but the history coupled with Vegas typically showing up in the playoffs will make this one way more intriguing than a typical top-seed against a second wild card should be.

I think the most compelling part of this one might be the Adin Hill-Jake Oettinger battle. They've got similar GAAs and SV%s (although Oettinger has played considerably more games).  So, if one of those guys pops off, that could win the series for their team. 

Intrigue-O-Meter score: 7.5 out of 10. Watch this series if even just for the goofy Vegas pregame show. It’s like Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament on ice without the lingering odor of horse manure while you’re trying to eat.

The Nashville Predators were one of the hottest teams in the league through March and April. Could they pull off a big upset over the Vancouver Canucks? (Credit: Bob Frid-USA TODAY Sports)

Canucks-Predators

This may not sound like the sexiest matchup out west, but allow me to explain why this could very well be a real barnburner.

The Canucks were one of the most surprising teams this season. I mean, last year they chased poor Bruce Boudreau out of town, but it must have worked. Rick Tocchett had those guys playing well and got them to a Pacific Division title. And that’s a division with the reigning Cup champs and the Edmonton Oilers.

Impressive.

As for the Predators, they were one of the hottest teams in the league through the spring (thanks almost entirely to the run they went on after skipping an early trip to Las Vegas to see U2).

I think if there’s any series in the first round where we see a top seed go down early, it’s this one. Believe me, I like the Canucks a lot, and they’ve got that top-dog D-man in Quinn Hughes and netminder Thatcher Demko has been fantastic.

It’s just that the Preds remind me of the 2019 Blues. Remember them? They were one of the worst teams around Christmas, brought in Craig Berube, and then went on a crazy run and won the Cup.

We see it a lot; a team that heats up in the Spring and becomes a problem in the playoffs. I could 100% see that happening in this series, and that’s why I think this one could be a must-watch.

Intrigue-O-Meter Score: 8 out of 10. Worth playing hurt the next morning for East Coasters who stay up late to watch the games in Vancouver (especially if the Canucks bust out the Flying Skate sweaters or the Green Men).

The Avalanche and Jets could definitely put on a show in the first round. (Credit: James Carey Lauder-USA TODAY Sports)

Jets-Avs

Here’s a heavyweight bout…

The Avalanche are just two years removed from hoisting the Cup, while the Jets are coming off one of their best seasons in Winnipeg since they arrived in town.

There’s a lot of firepower on the Avs roster, but they’ve drawn maybe the worst first-round matchup they could’ve gotten in having to face Connor Hellebuyck, who is fourth in the league in goals-against average and second in save percentage.

And that is precisely what has my Intrigue-O-Meter crackling away like a Geiger counter in Chernobyl.

Nathan and Cale Makar trying to figure out Hellebuyck? Sign me up.

I do think another thing working against the Avs is that they just missed out on having home ice. The Avs’ road record is not great (19-16-6) and they’re going to have to steal one in Winnipeg, which can get a little rowdy (when people show up).

My gut tells me this is the Avs series, and I think they’ll win it in 6 games. Although, if Hellebuyck steals it for the Jets I wouldn’t be stunned.

And therein lies the intrigue…

Intrigue-O-Meter Score: 9 out of 10. There’s enough to make this appointment viewing, just maybe mute the TV if Avs fans start singing Blink-182 again to recapture some 2022 magic.

…

That's all of them! Be sure to stock up on frosty cold ones because the games come thick and fast during the first round.

If your team is still playing, best of luck to them. 

If your team — like mine — is already golfing or packing for vacations to Cancun, well, better luck next year.