Could your team win a cup without their 2 best players?

[Czechboy]

Simple question. Could your team win a cup missing their 2 best players?

I'm an Oil fan and I don't think we have a chance without McDavid and Drai.

Could the Leafs without Matthews and Nylander?

Nucks without Demko and Hughes?

B's without Pasta and McAvoy?

Avs without Mack and Makar?

Has it happened recently?

Click to read more...

 

[The Nuge]

I don’t think any team could. It’s a really lazy argument to try and discredit teams with elite stars

 

[Sasha Orlov]

My team couldn’t win a Calder Cup with their two best players

 

[Strangle]

Leafs can’t do it with Matthews and Nylander

Oilers can’t do it with McDavid and drai, etc

I think you’ve got to look at teams who have actually won and then subtract their two best players and you’ll have a pretty obvious answer.

Could Colorado have won a cup without Mackinnon?

 

[TheDeuce]

Well we're seeing the Jets without Scheifele and Vilardi stinking up the joint in Boston as we speak.

I wouldn't like our chances - especially since Vilardi isn't our second best player.



m.

 

[DingDongCharlie]

Obviously not. I don't think any team could though.

 

[NyQuil]

We can't make the playoffs with our two best players.

 

[Russian_fanatic]

The Canucks might not win another game without their #6 defenseman, what you talking about 2 best players LOL.

 

[KovalchukFistPump]

I don't think I can think of any cup winner all time where this would have been true. Maybe 2002 Wings?

 

[Play]

Leafs can’t do it with Matthews and Nylander

Oilers can’t do it with McDavid and drai, etc

I think you’ve got to look at teams who have actually won and then subtract their two best players and you’ll have a pretty obvious answer.

Could Colorado have won a cup without Mackinnon?

But could the Oilers with Quinn Hughes instead of Nurse ?

Or Leafs with Hughes instead of Rielly?

I said Quinn Hughes instead of Makar because of his pure playmaking skills and Makar is already a champion


Sorry , Czech, don’t mean to derail your thread, but wanted to publicly challenge @Strangle here.

The Canucks don’t have the same level elite forward talent like those teams, that’s why I’m asking

 

[Czechboy]

Well we're seeing the Jets without Scheifele and Vilardi stinking up the joint in Boston as we speak.

I wouldn't like our chances - especially since Vilardi isn't our second best player.



m.

I'd say Helle and Scheifelle for the Jets are the top 2 guys.

 

[Play]

We can't make the playoffs with our two best players.

Lol Ottawa’s players are still entering their prime, their time will come, and it will come with no mercy

 

[CaptainShark]

The San Jose Sharks definitely could…




… if one really believes in the quantum mechanics and the Multiverse

 

[NyQuil]

Lol Ottawa’s players are still entering their prime, their time will come, and it will come with no mercy

 

[Czechboy]

I don't think I can think of any cup winner all time where this would have been true. Maybe 2002 Wings?

Didn't Bolts do it missing a key guy? Stamkos? That was impressive but I think they had everyone else.

Knights win it with 3rd and 4th strong goalie (for them).

That's as close as I can personally think of.

 

[Czechboy]

The San Jose Sharks definitely could…




… if one really believes in the quantum mechanics and the Multiverse

Not a chance
. You take out Hertl/Granlund and they are a last place club ...

 

[TheGreatOne11]

No team in the NHL would stand a chance.

Could Canada win the Olympics without its two best players? Better question, and I'd vote yes due to depth. 2002-2014. Haven't had one in a while to speak of.

 

[Kairi Zaide]

Habs fan here.

Yes.

 

[MadLuke]

Add peak Gretzky and Orr to my team, maybe they could with them win... but I am not sure, so removing any 2 regular player right now would not help trying not finishing last again.

Has it happened recently?

Penguins winning without Letang could be the biggest piece of a recent winning team that come to mind.

2001 Avs won without Forsberg for the last 2 round (but would have probably not won the whole thing without him, he was a big piece against the kings).

Not only 2 key piece but the 2 biggest one for the whole playoff, nothing come to mind

 

[Czechboy]

No team in the NHL would stand a chance.

Could Canada win the Olympics without its two best players? Better question, and I'd vote yes due to depth. 2002-2014. Haven't had one in a while to speak of.

The only scenario I could actually think of was Canada or US in a best on best. They could overcome losing their top 2 guys and still win. Now how you determine who their best 2 guys are is beyond me though.lol.

Canada without Mack and McDavid would still be damn good.

US without Matthews and Hughes would still be damn good.

No salary cap changes things quick!

 

[Chips]

I don’t think any team could. It’s a really lazy argument to try and discredit teams with elite stars

I think it’s a good exercise if you’re assuming every team lost their best 2 players. Then you’re really comparing depth (although I think some teams could win some realistic matchups with their two guys missing)


The leafs last year didn’t technically lose their two top scorers, but they lost their offense and the depth still held up decently against the panthers in the second round with team defense and chipping in some goals. They lost most the games by one goal. I think the premise has potential lol

 

[eviohh26]

Hell no.

 

[MadLuke]

The only scenario I could actually think of was Canada or US in a best on best. They could overcome losing their top 2 guys and still win. Now how you determine who their best 2 guys are is beyond me though.lol.

Single game elimination type tourney also make a lot of things possible (but also make a lot of things hard to be likely to do)

In 1998 Canada was without Mario-Sakic-Kariya, an argument could be made that those 2 were the 2 best player at the time (but Lindros-Roy others would have a claim), they did not win but obviously could have.

Could the 8 lost era Habs had won a cup without Dryden-Lafleur (or Robinson or make your top 2), I imagine that yes they could, but it would have been hard, they did not got particularly close to win anything when Dryden was missing I think, got out in the first round.

 

[AnInjuredJasonZucker]

Oilers won without Gretzky, Coffey, and Fuhr*. Not exactly what the OP is after (and your ulterior motive is showing), but those players weren't directly replaced after they left, though they returned a bunch of solid complimentary players.

*Fuhr was suspended that season.

 

[CaptainShark]

Not a chance
. You take out Hertl/Granlund and they are a last place club ...

You do realize that they are a last place club with those two in the lineup?