Best NHL Teams that Didn't Win the Cup

[DeysArena]

The Hockey News Top 75 Teams only included cup winners. In response, I've decided to rank the best NHL teams that didn't win the Cup, either because of bad luck or because they ran into an equally great team in the playoffs. To keep things interesting, I'm excluding teams that won the Cup in the season before or the season after. Here is my top 10:

1. 1989 Canadiens
2. 1974 Bruins
3. 1931 Bruins
4. 1967 Blackhawks
5. 1980 Flyers
6. 1978 Bruins
7. 1985 Flyers
8. 1972 Rangers
9. 1928 Canadiens
10. 1975 Sabres

What do people think?

 

[Hawkey Town 18]

1999 Avalanche

 

[Hockey Outsider]

Out of curiosity, why the 1931 Bruins rather than the 1930 team?

 

[UncleOscar]

Would probably add the 2010-11 Canucks to the list. Just from the 2000s, I think an argument could be made for some of those Caps and Sharks teams, along with the 2005-06 Red Wings.

 

[DeysArena]

Out of curiosity, why the 1931 Bruins rather than the 1930 team?

Boston won the Cup in 1929.

 

[MadLuke]

Boston won the Cup in 1929.

Nevermind did read the actual message.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

1971 Bruins, by a lot.

Sandwiched between the 2 Cups wins for the Orr/Espo teams

57-14-7, 121 points (next closest had 109)

The top 4 scorers in the NHL were all Bruins. And 6 of the top 8 scorers
3 of the top 4 goal scorers were Bruins
6 of the top 7 assist leaders were Bruins

They scored 399 goals, 108 more than 2nd place. A staggering 50% margin over 2nd.

edit: Just saw your caveat

 

[Michael Farkas]

1993 Penguins

EDIT: Oh...I should read more. Nevermind.

 

[bobholly39]

The Hockey News Top 75 Teams only included cup winners. In response, I've decided to rank the best NHL teams that didn't win the Cup, either because of bad luck or because they ran into an equally great team in the playoffs. To keep things interesting, I'm excluding teams that won the Cup in the season before or the season after. Here is my top 10:

1. 1989 Canadiens
2. 1974 Bruins
3. 1931 Bruins
4. 1967 Blackhawks
5. 1980 Flyers
6. 1978 Bruins
7. 1985 Flyers
8. 1972 Rangers
9. 1928 Canadiens
10. 1975 Sabres

What do people think?

I feel like people are missing the bolded part of your post OP. Which I love. You can't win them all. 1993 Penguins for example is a fantastic team, but they won twice and you can't win them all, so I would rather ignore such teams.

 

[HisIceness]

I was going to say the 2019 Lightning but I saw the OPs criteria.

I'd say the 2008-09 Sharks. I personally thought halfway through the season that the Cup was all theirs. They were dominant from what I saw and were a joy to watch. In my opinion, of all the Sharks teams that didn't make the Finals, that squad was by far the one with the best chance of not only getting there, but getting their names forever etched onto Lord Stanley. Drawing Anaheim in round 1, worst matchup they could have faced.

The 2009-10 Capitals are another one, but down the stretch of the season I thought they were starting to be content with themselves and other teams started to take notice. Very dominant squad but one with some late-season flaws.

The 2006 Red Wings are another one, but they were always dominant and won another championship 2 seasons later.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

Real answer following the rules...

2006 Wings

58-16-8, 124 points won the President's Trophy by 11.

Got unceremoniously dumped in the 1st round by the 8th seed Oilers

 

[MadLuke]

For the modern Red Wings, the 1995 Wings were nuts has well for the short season.

33-11-4, 70 pts in 48 points, 120 pts pace (before overtime points bonus)

I imagine some of the Avs, Stars, Devils edition that are in the middle of a windows of that era would compete with that too.

 

[GMR]

Real answer following the rules...

2006 Wings

58-16-8, 124 points won the President's Trophy by 11.

Got unceremoniously dumped in the 1st round by the 8th seed Oilers

In hindsight, that team wasn't as good as their record. They had Draper on the top line. Datsyuk was not yet a playoff performer. Washed up Yzerman and Williams on the second line. Legace in net. Lots of experience but zero grit.

The 1995 team was better. However, although that meets the OP's criteria, it still feels like cheating. What's the difference whether they won the following season or two years later?

 

[MadLuke]

Reusing that list of best team performance, those who did not won the cups the year before or after bolded:

Team	Season	GF%	P%
Montréal Canadiens	19761977	226%	0.825
Montréal Canadiens	19771978	196%	0.806
Montréal Canadiens	19751976	194%	0.794
Boston Bruins	19701971	193%	0.776
Detroit Red Wings	19951996	180%	0.799
Montréal Canadiens	19721973	179%	0.769
New York Islanders	19781979	167%	0.725
Philadelphia Flyers	19751976	167%	0.738
Philadelphia Flyers	19731974	166%	0.718
Montréal Canadiens	19741975	166%	0.706
Montréal Canadiens	19781979	165%	0.719
New York Rangers	19711972	165%	0.699
Philadelphia Flyers	19741975	162%	0.706
Boston Bruins	19711972	162%	0.763
Boston Bruins	19731974	158%	0.724
Calgary Flames	19881989	157%	0.731
Vegas Golden Knights	20202021	156%	0.732
New York Islanders	19811982	154%	0.738
Detroit Red Wings	19941995	154%	0.729
Chicago Blackhawks	20122013	154%	0.802
Boston Bruins	19771978	153%	0.706
Philadelphia Flyers	19761977	152%	0.7
Boston Bruins	20132014	151%	0.713
Colorado Avalanche	20202021	149%	0.732
Buffalo Sabres	19741975	148%	0.706
Washington Capitals	20162017	147%	0.72
New York Rangers	19701971	146%	0.699
Detroit Red Wings	20052006	146%	0.756
Montréal Canadiens	19881989	144%	0.719
Philadelphia Flyers	19841985	144%	0.706
Tampa Bay Lightning	20182019	144%	0.78
Vancouver Canucks	20102011	143%	0.713
Boston Bruins	20082009	142%	0.707
Edmonton Oilers	19831984	142%	0.744
Detroit Red Wings	20072008	141%	0.701
Colorado Avalanche	20002001	141%	0.72
Washington Capitals	20092010	138%	0.738
Edmonton Oilers	19851986	137%	0.744
Pittsburgh Penguins	19921993	137%	0.708
Pittsburgh Penguins	20122013	136%	0.75
Boston Bruins	20192020	136%	0.714
Detroit Red Wings	20012002	134%	0.707
Boston Bruins	19751976	132%	0.706
Carolina Hurricanes	20202021	131%	0.714
Washington Capitals	20152016	130%	0.732
Anaheim Ducks	20132014	130%	0.707
Philadelphia Flyers	19791980	129%	0.725
Nashville Predators	20172018	128%	0.713
San Jose Sharks	20082009	126%	0.713
Florida Panthers	20202021	125%	0.705

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Lot of lock out season that myave should have an * , went really fast could be missing teams.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

The Hockey News Top 75 Teams only included cup winners. In response, I've decided to rank the best NHL teams that didn't win the Cup, either because of bad luck or because they ran into an equally great team in the playoffs. To keep things interesting, I'm excluding teams that won the Cup in the season before or the season after. Here is my top 10:

1. 1989 Canadiens
2. 1974 Bruins
3. 1931 Bruins
4. 1967 Blackhawks
5. 1980 Flyers
6. 1978 Bruins
7. 1985 Flyers
8. 1972 Rangers
9. 1928 Canadiens
10. 1975 Sabres

What do people think?

i don't want to be that guy but is it fair to call the 2011 canucks the best team of the salary cap era not to win it?

i guess one question is, what do you consider "the team"? is it the team that they had for most of the year? the team that they had after the deadline? the team they went into the finals with? the team that they had for most of their finals losses?

because minus malhotra, hamhuis, samuelsson, and the broken down versions of kesler, ehrhoff, and henrik sedin in games, 3, 4, 6, and 7 of the finals, that team doesn't belong anywhere on this list.

but the team that won the presidents trophy by ten points, first in goals scored, last in goals against, was first in powerplay goals, first in powerplays percentage, and third in PK% (first going into the last week of the season before they let in four PP goals in two games against edmonton with malhotra, hamhuis, and edler all out of the lineup), that team could hang with half the teams on this list and i'd put money on them beating the other half.

they came out of the trade deadline with this lineup —

sedin sedin burrows, back to back art ross winners and the best defensive winger/pk forward in the league in the middle of a four season 25+ goals every year peak)

raymond kesler samuelsson (prior to 2011, sammy was considered the clutchest canuck and led us the previous year with 8 goals, 15 points; these three players combined for 80 goals in 2010)

torres malhotra hansen (kesler won the selke but malhotra was the real best defensive forward in the league that year, which is what freed kesler up to score 41)

glass lapierre higgins (higgins, like torres, had a 27 goal season under his belt)

hamuis bieksa

edler ehrhoff

ballard/rome salo

luongo (top three vezina)

schneider

spares: hodgson, tanev, junk (hodgson was a colossal disappointment but he scored at a 20+ goal pace the next year and did eventually lead the sabres in scoring, while tanev was super green but didn't look out of place and probably deserved to play in the games that andrew alberts got into before AV finally said uncle and gave him a shot)

unfortunately, we lost manny to his eye injury almost immediately after and this lineup never actually all played at the same time

 

[MadLuke]

i don't want to be that guy but is it fair to call the 2011 canucks the best team of the salary cap era not to win it?

If you exclude the 2008 Red Wings, 2019 Tampa Bay and other that did win just before-after ?

If we exclude those, the 2007 Sabres, 2010 Capitals seem like good candidate, but the 40 goals Kesler on the second line, peak Luongo in net 2011 Nucks are in conversation for sure.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

If you exclude the 2008 Red Wings, 2019 Tampa Bay and other that did win just before-after ?

If we exclude those, the 2007 Sabres, 2010 Capitals seem like good candidate, but the 40 goals Kesler on the second line, peak Luongo in net 2011 Nucks are in conversation for sure.

yeah not counting the wings, lightning, or the other superteam for me is the blackhawks

i think the 2006 sabres was the better sabres team, but they definitely would give those canucks a run for their money

tbh, i would call that prime luongo, but not peak. imo peak luongo was 2004 to 2007. he was still great but never quite at that level again after, whether you want to cite his wife's difficult pregnancy, the destroying of his relationship with the city and its media when they crossed some personal lines that spring, or maybe just becoming a father in general and your life priorities and focuses racalibrating

 

[Hockey Outsider]

Boston won the Cup in 1929.

I misread the original post - thanks for clarifying.

 

[MadLuke]

tbh, i would call that prime luongo, but not peak. imo peak luongo was 2004 to 2007

Fair enough going from playing over 70 games all the time and:

Goals Saved Above Average

2000-01 NHL 22 (5th)

2001-02 NHL 12 (10th)

2002-03 NHL 19 (8th)

2003-04 NHL 48 (1st)

2005-06 NHL 33 (3rd)

2006-07 NHL 35 (2nd)

2007-08 NHL 16 (10th)

2008-09 NHL 17 (5th)

2010-11 NHL 27 (3rd)

2015-16 NHL 12 (6th)

2017-18 NHL 19 (6th)

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Clear enough peak, 2011 was a little last hurray into the very top.

i think the 2006 sabres was the better sabres team,

I kind of mesh both year has the same team a little bit in my mind

52-24-6 (110 points), Finished 2nd (2006) vs 53-22-7 (113 points), Finished 1st in (2007)

2006: Goals For: 281 (5th of 30), Goals Against: 239 (10th of 30)
2007: Goals For: 308 (1st of 30), Goals Against: 242 (13th of 30)

Both lost in the conference finals, 2007 you have 40 goals Vanek

 

[Big Phil]

Real answer following the rules...

2006 Wings

58-16-8, 124 points won the President's Trophy by 11.

Got unceremoniously dumped in the 1st round by the 8th seed Oilers

Here is why I never liked that team. You think, okay, 124 points, that's a lot of mustard. A handful of teams in NHL history have done that well points wise. But that is also 124 points in an 82 game season with the shootout. That isn't what inflates it the most I don't think. The NHL had that experiment where teams were playing everyone in their division 8 times that year. So Detroit played 32 games against Nashville, Chicago, Columbus and St. Louis. Easily the worst division in the NHL that year. Nashville was decent, but overall Detroit feasted on these teams and went 25-3-5 against them. I've just never liked the 2006 Wings. I think the 2007 Wings were better and that Datsyuk and Zetterberg were more independent by then and it was sort of "their" team. 2006 was a weird transition for the Wings. I honestly thought during the regular season the best team was Ottawa.

i don't want to be that guy but is it fair to call the 2011 canucks the best team of the salary cap era not to win it?

Quite possible, especially by the standards of the OP. 117 points and going all of the way to Game 7 of the Cup final. And let's face it, if the Canucks win Game 7 Luongo wins the Smythe and we forget that they laid an egg in three of the games in the final. It becomes a mere footnote. The 2010 Caps could be another example, but I would say the Canucks in 2011 were better simply because they made it further. The Caps did lose in Game 7 to the Cup winners, but if we are nitpicking, then I think you need to bring up the fact that the Canucks were good enough to not only make the Cup final but have a convincing lead in it.

 

[Big Phil]

The Hockey News Top 75 Teams only included cup winners. In response, I've decided to rank the best NHL teams that didn't win the Cup, either because of bad luck or because they ran into an equally great team in the playoffs. To keep things interesting, I'm excluding teams that won the Cup in the season before or the season after. Here is my top 10:

1. 1989 Canadiens
2. 1974 Bruins
3. 1931 Bruins
4. 1967 Blackhawks
5. 1980 Flyers
6. 1978 Bruins
7. 1985 Flyers
8. 1972 Rangers
9. 1928 Canadiens
10. 1975 Sabres

What do people think?

Good list. I like the 1974 Bruins at the top though. The top 4 scorers in the NHL were Bruins. That's incredible. Something not even the Oilers could do. Cheevers wasn't there at that time, but Gilles Gilbert wasn't a bad goalie either. Not to mention they were probably 30 seconds away from winning the series in Game 2. Moose Dupont's goal tied it and then Clarke won in overtime. But in all honesty, I think if the Bruins hang on, you've got a 2-0 lead and psychologically I think that changes things in the series.

I am trying to think of a team not on your list that could be there. 1957 Wings come to mind, although I am big on how a team does in the playoffs as well, and they got bounced out by the Bruins rather easily in the 1st round. 1962 Habs come to mind as well. That was a lot of separation from the rest of the league. But again, another 1st round exit.

 

[LightningStorm]

I know the OP was about single season teams (great list btw), but I always tend to think of it more in terms of what cores/eras that lasted a good amount of time didn't win one, since being cupless is more a part of those teams legacies than some of these single season teams. Here's what I can think of off the top of my head:

Bourque/Neely Bruins
90's Blackhawks
90's Blues (Hull, later MacInnis, later Pronger era up to 2001)
00's Senators
Thornton era Sharks

 

[Big Phil]

I know the OP was about single season teams (great list btw), but I always tend to think of it more in terms of what cores/eras that lasted a good amount of time didn't win one, since being cupless is more a part of those teams legacies than some of these single season teams. Here's what I can think of off the top of my head:

Bourque/Neely Bruins
90's Blackhawks
90's Blues (Hull, later MacInnis, later Pronger era up to 2001)
00's Senators
Thornton era Sharks

Probably one of the better core teams to never win was the Bourque/Neely Bruins. Going from the 1988 Cup final until about 1991. Even after that as well. 1993 was a great year for them.

 

[DeysArena]

Probably one of the better core teams to never win was the Bourque/Neely Bruins. Going from the 1988 Cup final until about 1991. Even after that as well. 1993 was a great year for them.

The Bruins problem during this stretch was that Neely was their only premier offensive player.

 

[Big Phil]

The Bruins problem during this stretch was that Neely was their only premier offensive player.

And in some cases Bourque was the offensive AND defensive star. Craig Janney came along and was surprisingly good even in the postseason. But that was a big load for the top guys.