The 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs are less than two months away. While it's likely a team +1600 or shorter ultimately gets its hand on the trophy, there are still a few dark horse sides with potential.

Let's take a look at three long shots - to varying degrees - that could surprise when the tournament begins.

Boston Bruins (+2000)

There's too much meat on the bone here for a team with so much high-end talent and experience. I know they have to get through a ridiculously tough Atlantic Division bracket to have any shot at a trophy, but crazier things have happened. This team is extremely well-rounded.

Offensively, they seem to be hitting their stride. Jake DeBrusk has held up his end of the bargain on the top line, which has allowed the Bruins to pair Taylor Hall and David Pastrnak on the second unit. That essentially gives them two top lines. Craig Smith and Charlie Coyle spearhead a solid third line as well, which has been especially hot of late.

Boston's team defense is remarkably good; no team in the league has conceded high-danger chances at a lesser rate during five-on-five play. They're also stout on the penalty kill.

When all else fails, they can be comfortable relying on Jeremy Swayman between the pipes. The 23-year-old has established himself as the team's No. 1 option in goal, and not just because Linus Ullmark has been inconsistent. Swayman owns a rock-solid .926 save percentage and sits eighth among starters in goals saved above expected per start.

This team is above average in every area of the game and they're battle-tested. If they can add another piece or two at the deadline, they'll be an extremely difficult side for any team to out.

Washington Capitals (+2700)

The Capitals have stumbled a bit of late. I wouldn't be quick to write them off, though.

They are 12th in the NHL in points percentage despite the fact they've spent very little of the season anywhere close to full health. Nicklas Backstrom has appeared in 27 of 60 games, T.J. Oshie has appeared in 26, and Anthony Mantha has dressed just 15 times. The Capitals haven't had one member of the second line healthy for even half of their games, let alone all three.

Not only have the absences of those players impacted the Capitals at five-on-five, but they've taken some jolt out of the power play. It can't be overstated how important it is to have them healthy.

Dating back to last season, they've helped the Capitals control better than 52% of the expected goal share at five-on-five. Backstrom and Oshie, in particular, really help out on the power play as well.

I think we're going to see a different Capitals team now that they're healthy again. There are also rumblings they're eying a Calle Jarnkrok-type forward at the deadline, which would provide some much-needed depth on the third line.

I'm not saying the Capitals are world-beaters or that they can match some of the other big-name teams. However, they do have a very good top six and a healthy power play, while Vitek Vanecek has quietly given the Capitals fantastic goaltending of late. They have the pieces to cause some problems in the playoffs.

Washington also figures to benefit from an easier path to the conference finals. With respect to the Pittsburgh Penguins, Carolina Hurricanes, and New York Rangers, the Caps have a better chance of getting through that group than the bracket featuring the Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Bruins.

Los Angeles Kings (+3500)

The Los Angeles Kings are going through a bit of a tough spell right now. Drew Doughty, Viktor Arvidsson, Matt Roy, Dustin Brown, Mikey Anderson, and Andreas Athanasiou, among others, are out of the lineup with varying timelines to return.

If the Kings can get most of those guys back by the playoffs, the Kings have sneaky potential. Hear me out.

They are a fantastic five-on-five team. They rank fourth in the NHL in shot share, sixth in expected goals share, and eighth in terms of high-danger chances. Whichever metric you prefer, the Kings grade out highly. That's important, especially because officials tend to put the whistles away come playoff time. A lot of each game is played at full strength and the Kings are at their best in that game state.

Anze Kopitar spearheads a very good top line while Arvidsson, Phillip Danault, and Trevor Moore have combined to create a shockingly good second unit. Los Angeles has controlled ~59% of the shot attempts, 61% of the expected goals, and ~63% of the actual goals with that trio on the ice. Suffice to say, the Kings' top six is a problem.

They're also a great defensive team. While the goaltending hasn't been as good of late, Jonathan Quick and Cal Petersen have both taken the ball and run with it at different points of the season. There's reason to believe they can be stable enough when the chips are down.

This team doesn't have much flash or appeal to the average observer. But they're solid and, outside of the Calgary Flames, every team in their division appears flawed. They could cause some headaches in the coming months.

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.

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