"Anybody who thinks they can pick the Stanley Cup winner before the season is out of their mind. If you're looking for a team that feels it still has something to prove, I'll still go with L.A.

"But I would also say the New York Rangers with [Rick] Nash looks like they're ready to make a move. But you can't tell. When you get an eighth-place club like L.A. annihilating everyone, how can you tell?"

-Don Cherry of HNIC in a Q & A with Tim Wharnsby of CBC.