Best team to not win the Stanley Cup

[MrFrosty]

BarDown posted this on their socials and got me thinking



Who are some candidates for this title?

11 Canucks?
16 Capitals?
06 Sens ?
09 Sharks?
95 Redwings?

What say you?

EDIT: 95 Redwings, my bad ;0

 

[Ezpz]

Every year Coyotes.

 

[Tad Mikowsky]

Judging by how Leafs fans talked about their loss to Tampa, gotta be the 2021-22 Maple Leafs.

 

[Dougie Donuts]

BarDown posted this on their socials and got me thinking



Who are some candidates for this title?

11 Canucks?
16 Capitals?
06 Sens ?
09 Sharks?
95 Devils?

What say you?

You mean the 2001 Devils

 

[Bear of Bad News]

Best team to never win the Stanley Cup is probably Canada's 1987 Canada Cup team.

 

[King Karl]

2002-2003 Sens are a good candidate. Whoever won that ECF was winning the cup.

 

[johan f]

Colorado and Detroit, the years when they bumped out each other.

 

[John Mandalorian]

BarDown posted this on their socials and got me thinking



Who are some candidates for this title?

11 Canucks?
16 Capitals?
06 Sens ?
09 Sharks?
95 Devils?

What say you?

I think you mean the '95 Red Wings.

 

[LT]

2011 Canucks were my first thought, at least in recent memory.

2019 Lightning may be up there too, at the very least they are definitely the best team to not even win a single playoff game.

Maybe some of those Sharks’ teams, too.

 

[SENSational]

2002-2003 Sens are a good candidate. Whoever won that ECF was winning the cup.

06 sens were better. I blame that one on Hasek.

 

[Brodeur]

Knee jerk thought would be the 2003 Senators. 3rd in the league in scoring, 5th in defense. Scary deep just maybe had that Achilles heel in net, also maybe just missing that #1 center as Spezza was just getting started.

Varada-Bonk-Hossa
White-Smolinski-Alfredsson
Arvidsson-Fisher-Neil
Schaefer-Spezza-Havlat

Redden-Rachunek
Phillips-Chara
Leschyshyn-Volchenkov

Lalime-Prusek

===================

2001 Devils on paper weren't quite as deep at the 2000 Cup winner. Basically swap out Lemieux/Malakhov for Stevenson/O'Donnell. But the 2000-01 squad was quietly an offensive force as they led the league in goals and had the top PP while being 5th in GA. They maybe could have even scored more goals if Jason Arnott and Scott Niedermayer hadn't held out for the first 20 games of the season.

Elias-Arnott-Sykora
Brylin-Gomez-Mogilny
Pandolfo-Holik-McKay
Nemchinov-Madden-Stevenson/Corkum

Stevens-Rafalski
Daneyko-Niedermayer
White-O'Donnell/Sutton

Brodeur-Vanbiesbrouck

====================

Maybe this is more the best team that didn't get out of the first round, but 2007 Nashville on paper looked ridiculous. I don't remember the lines, but here's an estimate:

Kariya-Forsberg-Sullivan
Erat-Arnott-Radulov
Hartnell-Legwand-Dumont
Fiddler-Nichol-Tootoo

Hamhuis-Timonen
Suter-Zidlicky
Zanon-Weber

Vokoun-Mason

 

[Terry Yake]

06 senators

if hasek doesn't get hurt in the olympics they probably go to the SCF

 

[Clint Eastwood]

For how long the Sharks were really good, it's surprising they never broke through. Even teams like Washington and St. Louis shedded their choker labels, but not San Jose. Oof

 

[NYRfan85]

Either the 2014 or 2015 Rangers. Those teams were loaded, and Hank was playing out of his damn mind. Unfortunately, they ran into the inferno that was the LA Kings in '14, and just ran out of gas in the Final. The 2015 team should have beaten Tampa in the ECF, but crapped the bed in games 6 & 7. I'm convinced they would have beaten Chicago for the Cup that year had they advanced.

 

[EspenK]

The 2026 Columbus Blue Jackets...

 

[robertmac43]

I was thinking about this the other day but not from the one-off Cup perspective. For instance, I wouldn't include the 16 Caps since they went on to win in 18.

The Sharks from the late 00's/ealr 10's, the mid-2000 Sens and Sabres both come to mind. Canucks are a good shout. From a littler further back I would include the 1980s Flyers since they lost a number of Cups.

 

[Lays]

Either the 2014 or 2015 Rangers. Those teams were loaded, and Hank was playing out of his damn mind. Unfortunately, they ran into the inferno that was the LA Kings in '14, and just ran out of gas in the Final. The 2015 team should have beaten Tampa in the ECF, but crapped the bed in games 6 & 7. I'm convinced they would have beaten Chicago for the Cup that year had they advanced.

I wouldn’t call those teams loaded. Very good depth and very good defensively all around, but they never had a true star. The best we got was Rick Nash and Marian Gaborik. Mika Zibanejad, Artemi Panarin, and Adam Fox are better than any player we’ve had with Hank

Ryan McDonagh led our team in playoff scoring back in 2014. Our best center was your choice of Stepan or Brassard. Zuccarello was arguably our best winger because Nash was brutal in the playoffs

 

[McJedi]

Judging by how Leafs fans talked about their loss to Tampa, gotta be the 2021-22 Maple Leafs.

Toronto did win the post series handshake line and respect that comes with it.

 

[GermanSpitfire]

Judging by how Leafs fans talked about their loss to Tampa, gotta be the 2021-22 Maple Leafs.

Respect in handshake line > Stanley Cup

 

[604]

Knee jerk thought would be the 2003 Senators. 3rd in the league in scoring, 5th in defense.

The 2011 Canucks we're 1st in GF and 1st in GA. 1st in PP% and 1st in PK%. Three HHOFs plus a Selke winning 2nd line centre who could score 30 goals all in their primes.

They were screwed by the league and the referees.

 

[kaiser matias]

I think you mean the '95 Red Wings.

1996 would be more appropriate, with the 62 wins.

Likewise, the 2019 Lightning, also with 62 wins.

 

[Evergreen]

06 Senators and 05 Sabres come to mind.

 

[Bluesguru]

75-76 Flyers. lost (4) 1 goal games to the Montreal Canadiens in Finals.
Played series without Rick MacLeish which was a huge factor.

 

[DaveG]

I still maintain that the Sens were primed to win the cup the year the season was cancelled due to the lockout.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

1971 Bruins, AINEC

57-14-7, 121 pts
399 GF, 108 more than 2nd best
+192 as a team, +99 better than 2nd best

Had the Ross, Hart, Norris, Rocket and Lindsay winners on the team

The top 4 in points in the NHL were all Bruins, and the only 100 pt scorers in the league
3 of the top 4 in goals in the NHL were Bruins
The top 5 in assists in the NHL were all Bruins

And sandwiched between 2 Cup wins in 1970 and 1972.