Mailbag: Rating contenders' chances in Stanley Cup Playoffs

Here is the April 15 edition of Dan Rosen's weekly mailbag. If you have a question, tweet it to @drosennhl and use #OvertheBoards.

Who are your favorites if the Stanley Cup Playoffs started today with teams fresh and healthy? -- @Bobby_Hakes
I have to say the Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference. I do worry about them getting back up and running quickly because they have some older players who may take longer to get going. Center Patrice Bergeron is 34, and center David Krejci will turn 34 on April 28. Forward Brad Marchand turns 32 on May 11, and defenseman Zdeno Chara is 43. But the Bruins have been the best team in the NHL this season and going against them would be a mistake.
The Colorado Avalanche intrigue me the most in the Western Conference because they're young, hungry and will be healthy. When the season was paused March 12 due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus, they were playing without centers Nathan MacKinnon and Nazem Kadri, wings Mikko Rantanen, Andre Burakovsky and Matt Calvert, and goalie Philipp Grubauer. Assuming each of them will be ready to go, the Avalanche will be the team to beat in the West, and that's with all due respect to the defending Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues. It will be hard to contain the Colorado offense, and its defense is strong enough to hold up in the playoffs, especially if Grubauer or Pavel Francouz get hot in goal. The Avalanche are fast and physical; I just think it's their time.

Assuming the Detroit Red Wings get Alexis Lafreniere, how far off do you think they are to being a consistent playoff team with Dylan Larkin, Tyler Bertuzzi, Anthony Mantha, Filip Zadina and Filip Hronek, plus with Moritz Seider , Joseph Veleno , Michael Rasmussen and Dennis Cholowski coming? Pretty solid core. -- @MikeCywink
Let's say for the purpose of your question that Detroit gets the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NHL Draft and selects Lafreniere. The forward would be a game-changer for the Red Wings, who have had the No. 6 pick the past two years and selected Seider, a defenseman, in the 2019 NHL Draft, and Zadina, a forward, in the 2018 NHL Draft, after they chose Rasmussen, a center, at No. 9 in the 2017 NHL Draft. But even if they get the No. 1 pick, they would have a long way to go.
Yes, the Red Wings would have the makings of a solid future core with Larkin, Bertuzzi, Mantha, Zadina, Veleno, Rasmussen and Lafreniere up front, and Hronek, Seider and Cholowski on the back end. But you're talking about seven players 22 years old or younger, including Seider, 19, and Lafreniere, 18. They're not all guaranteed to be in the NHL next season. And if they are, Detroit is going to be in line for another long season because it would have a lot of players still developing. The Red Wings also need a goalie; I'm not sure if they have one of NHL caliber in their prospect system now. That's another major task ahead for general manager Steve Yzerman.
I think Detroit is looking at least two more seasons of full-on rebuilding, with the hope it starts to become a dangerous opponent in 2021-22 and can become a playoff team the following season. Lafreniere would be 21 at that point, Larkin would be 26. That's an optimistic plan.
Expectations for Ilya Sorokin? Do you have a goaltender you can compare him to? -- @NY\luvs\DDUB
Expectations should be high for Sorokin, although they should also be reasonable next season if the goalie signs with the New York Islanders when he becomes eligible to on April 30. That's when his contract with CSKA Moscow of the Kontinental Hockey League expires.
He's going to need time to adjust to the North American game. It might benefit him to start with Bridgeport of the American Hockey League if New York can afford to wait. Thomas Greiss can become an unrestricted free agent after this season and it's likely he'd want more than a one-year contract. New York instead could sign a veteran goalie to back up Semyon Varlamov for one season, which would give Sorokin time to adjust in Bridgeport. If Sorokin proves he's ready earlier, the Islanders could waive or trade the veteran backup. The other option is to bring Sorokin in as the backup to Varlamov in training camp and let him learn on the fly in the NHL. If they think he's good enough, there are no bad options.
Sorokin has been among the best goalies in the KHL for the past five seasons, with 134 wins, a 1.70 goals-against average and a .930 save percentage in 244 regular-season games. He also went 50-17 with a 1.37 GAA and .940 save percentage in 69 playoff games.
Those numbers in the KHL compare favorably to New York Rangers rookie goalie Igor Shesterkin, who dominated Russia's top league with SKA St. Petersburg for three seasons from 2016-19. Shesterkin was 80-19-15 with a 1.68 GAA and .935 save percentage in 117 regular-season games. Shesterkin made a major impression with the Rangers before the season was paused, going 10-2-0 with a 2.52 GAA and .932 save percentage in 12 starts. He looks like the Rangers goalie of the present and future. Sorokin could be that for the Islanders, though Varlamov is signed for three seasons after this one.

Favorite non-playoff NHL event you've covered? -- @mattysports
There are so many, but this is actually easy for me. It's the 2008 NHL Winter Classic in Buffalo. I wasn't at the 2003 Heritage Classic in Edmonton or the Cold War game at Michigan State in 2001. But I got to Buffalo on Dec. 23, the night the NHL took over Ralph Wilson Stadium (now New Era Field). I was there to see it all get built from scratch and documented the struggles and triumphs NHL vice president of facilities operations Dan Craig and his team went through to get the rink built for the game on Jan. 1.
The event itself was incredible. The 71,217 in the stands. The atmosphere created when the public address announcer told the fans they were going live on NBC. Ronan Tynan's stirring version of "God Bless America." The early goal by Pittsburgh Penguins forward Colby Armstrong. The weather in Western New York that created the snow-globe effect which became such a perfect image for TV. Defenseman Brian Campbell's tying goal for the Buffalo Sabres early in the second period. And, of course, center Sidney Crosby's shootout winner for Pittsburgh. There was just nothing like it. I knew right then and there that the NHL struck gold and the Winter Classic would become huge. The event has grown since that day, and each year it seems the NHL outdoes the previous year, but nothing will be like the first one.
Top three cities opponents enjoy visiting, disregarding the team they are playing? -- @theashcity
New York, Nashville, Las Vegas; those are the top three I hear about from players, for obvious reasons. They're great cities with so much to do and see. They're walkable cities on off days, with great restaurants and easy access to arenas from the hotel. They also have terrific arena atmospheres. It still amazes me how many players are in awe the first time they walk up the ramp from the street to the fifth floor at Madison Square Garden. It's a famous walk and it seems no one takes it for granted.
Montreal also deserves a mention here. I think it's the best place in the NHL to watch a game because of the history, tradition, the game operations and the intelligence of the fans. Players notice those things. They hear the crowd and they certainly appreciate the opportunity to play there, even as a visitor.