How this year's Stanley Cup contenders mirror past winners

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When the NHL playoffs start Saturday, they'll be dropping the puck on the most wide-open race for the Stanley Cup in four decades -- if not longer.

Comparing ESPN BET's title odds with historical data from earlier seasons, the Carolina Hurricanes (at +600) are on track to be the weakest pre-playoff championship favorite since at least 1984-85 -- the earliest season of SportsOddsHistory.com's archives. So even by the standards of a sport known for its chaotic postseasons, the stage could be set for an especially unpredictable path to the Cup over the next few months.

To help sort it all out, we decided to take the top contenders (every team with better than…