Just after the Pittsburgh Penguins raised the Stanley Cup in Nashville, oddsmakers named them the favorites to win what many consider professional sports' most coveted trophy again next year, with 8-1 odds according to the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook.
No rest for the victors.
In today's salary cap-induced era of parity, a three-peat seems impossible. The Penguins were the first team to even repeat since the Detroit Red Wings in 1997 and 1998, and it took two Game 7 wins along the way for Pittsburgh to do it.
But the resurgence of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin under head coach Mike Sullivan, combined with the youth surrounding them, makes the notion of a third Cup in a row quite realistic.
Here's a look at why that is, along with the teams that will mount the biggest challenge to the Penguins on their quest for the three-peat:
It's not just Crosby
Before the 2016-17 season, Crosby had experienced four straight seasons of decline in his points per game rate, falling from 1.61 to 1.06 between 2010-11 and 2015-16. While producing a point per game is still fantastic, there was reason to think Crosby's best days were behind him. After Sullivan was hired, however, the world's best player has seen his brilliance return, producing 74 goals and 81 assists in 127 games (1.22 points per game). Malkin also jumped from 1.02 points per game in 2015-16 to 1.16 this season. And both players carried the Penguins in the playoffs, ranking as the top two in postseason scoring.
Barring injuries, we could reasonably see similar production from Crosby and Malkin next season. The same goes for veteran winger Phil Kessel, who jumped from 59 points in 2015-16 to 70 points in 2016-17. And the group surrounding the three franchise players will be bolstered by young scorers who emerged as stars this season.
Rookie forward Jake Guentzel, 22, emerged as a top-notch scorer alongside Crosby, totaling 29 goals in 65 games between the regular season and playoffs. He came within one goal of Dino Ciccarelli's rookie postseason record, and finished third in Conn Smythe Trophy voting.
Despite struggling at times during the playoffs, winger Conor Sheary had a terrific second season, leading the NHL in 5-on-5 scoring rate among players with 60 or more games.
For most of his prime, Crosby was flanked by solid all-around players Pascal Dupuis and Chris Kunitz. It took a few years to find replacements, but it appears Guentzel and Sheary are up to the task. Their presence allows Kessel and Malkin to play together -- which is a very good thing for Sullivan. In 259 postseason minutes together, Kessel and Malkin outscored opponents 14-6 and dominated with a 54.6 shots for percentage.
Improving the roster this summer
Pittsburgh's roster flexibility could help it build an even stronger set of role players. Forward Matt Cullen is probably retiring, and Nick Bonino and defensemen Trevor Daley, Mark Streit, Ron Hainsey and Chad Ruhwedel will all hit the free-agent market. The Penguins' front office proved to be quite savvy building around its stars with trades for Carl Hagelin and Daley, then adding to its defensive depth with Hainsey and Streit at the trade deadline. The Penguins will have an opportunity to find younger versions in free agency this offseason.
If the Vegas Golden Knights select Marc-Andre Fleury in the expansion draft, that will open up an additional $5.75 million.
The Pens are also hoping Kris Letang can come back healthy. If that's the case, Pittsburgh will take a stronger team into the playoffs next year than it did this time around. The Penguins had to overcome being routinely outshot, in large part because they did not have a true No. 1 defenseman to drive play. In 23 games during the 2016 Stanley Cup playoffs, Letang had a 54.8 percent Corsi for percentage, and was on ice for 24 goals for and 18 against while facing the toughest competition.
And there's no reason to think goalie phenom Matt Murray will fall off. He was magnificent in net during both Cup runs, posting a .928 save percentage. That's hardly beginner's luck, as he was among the league's best with a .926 save percentage during the regular season.
So to recap: The Penguins have three of the league's elite players who are playing their best hockey, a supporting cast that could get even better this offseason, a returning No. 1 defenseman and a franchise goalie. The Vegas oddsmakers are right: Pittsburgh has the best chance to win the Cup next year.
Standing in the way
Of course, the Penguins are not the only quality team in the NHL. Here are the five clubs who are the most likely to unseat them next year, along with a sleeper:
Nashville Predators (14-1)
Key stat: Outshot the Penguins 144-123 at even strength in the Stanley Cup Final
Nashville isn't going anywhere. The Predators pushed the Penguins to six games despite being without No. 1 center Ryan Johansen. They also received subpar goaltending against Pittsburgh, which had not been the case in their previous three series. With a fantastic blue line built around superstar P.K. Subban, the Predators have a chance to add more scoring depth and run through the Western Conference again next spring.
Washington Capitals (10-1)
Key stat: League-leading 61.4 percent goals for percentage in the regular season
This should have been Washington's year, though we have been saying that many years. But in 2016-17, the Capitals built their best top-to-bottom team during the Alex Ovechkin era, with scorers up and down the lineup, a solid defense and an elite goaltender. Ovechkin might be getting older, but younger players like Evgeny Kuznetsov and Andre Burakovsky are on the rise and could finally get Washington over the hump.
Toronto Maple Leafs (14-1)
Key stat: Three 60-plus-point players under age 22
Head coach Mike Babcock squeezed everything he could out of his explosive young group of scorers this season, earning the Leafs a surprising playoff berth. Next season, Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander will be even better. If Toronto improves its blue-line group, it could make a run similar to the Chicago Blackhawks' in 2009-10 when Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane lived up to expectations faster than anyone thought possible.
Edmonton Oilers (10-1)
Key stat: 3.53 goals per 60 minutes with Connor McDavid on ice
As we have seen from Crosby, Mario Lemieux and Wayne Gretzky, it usually doesn't take long before the all-time great players lead their clubs to a Stanley Cup Final. McDavid, who led the NHL in scoring in his sophomore season, is on track to have his name on that list. If the Oilers give McDavid help in the form of depth scoring, watch out Western Conference.
Tampa Bay Lightning (10-1)
Key stat: 20-7-4 record after Feb. 1
The 2016-17 season was a huge disappointment for the Lightning, as they missed the playoffs after many considered them a Cup favorite. An injury to scorer Steven Stamkos and poor goaltending ultimately sunk Tampa Bay, but it finished the season strong and should come back as the Atlantic Division's top team if Stamkos is healthy. GM Steve Yzerman will have maneuvering to do this offseason -- what else is new? -- as the Lightning need to fix their blue line and navigate some new pricey deals for restricted free agents.
Sleeper pick: Dallas Stars (14-1)
The Stars made a surprise hire by bringing back head coach Ken Hitchcock. He has a long history of success defensively, which is what Dallas badly needs. Hitch will have two of the league's elite scorers in Tyler Seguin and Jamie Benn, and a young defense with plenty of potential to make the Stars a top contender in the West. Oh, and upgrading to former Cup finalist Ben Bishop in nets doesn't hurt, either.