The Stanley Cup dream for 16 teams has been dashed, but for the fans of those teams, there is still plenty to root for in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Canadiens’ entire season has looked like a work in progress, starts and stops and sprints and slow-downs. After stumbling out of the gates, the team entered December in familiar territory, sitting last in the Atlantic with just eight wins. But that’s when things started to change.

Here's a look at the 16 teams separated into five tiers based on how many boxes they tick on the new-and-improved Cup Checklist.