There is no consensus favorite, no singular Team to Beat casting its shadow over the Stanley Cup tournament that begins on Wednesday. The league think that’s great. The league always thinks enforced equivalence is great.
Common sense says that super teams like the NCAA Kentucky Wildcats (well), powerful marquee teams like the NFL New England Patriots and whatever NBA team for which LeBron James suits up create interest and draw eyeballs to the sport.
We’re never returning to the days of dynasties in the NHL, never going back to a future of dominant teams. Those days ended with the implementation of the most restrictive salary cap in pro sports that is structured to penalize success.