Craig Custance: It's the Washington Capitals. Without a doubt. I'm not letting franchise history that has nothing to do with this current group cloud reality. This is the best team in the NHL. They're deep in every position. They have a franchise center in Nicklas Backstrom turning in a Hart-worthy season. They have a game-breaker in Alex Ovechkin. Yes, they have the burden of disappointing playoffs from the past, but they're good enough to overcome it. The San Jose Sharks had to deal with the same issues and that didn't stop them from advancing to the Stanley Cup finals last year.
Washington Capitals are still the clear Stanley Cup favorite
