It still the same - Canes with the players they have/had - should have won cup(s), The very least play in SC finals several times. The thing that holds them back is their coach and now their GM as well, who refused to fire the coach and makes trades to get worthless picks, when the team needs actual players.
As a fan of another team I don't understand why Canes fans could be happy with this terrible outcome.
In my books it is the worst franchise in NHL currently in terms of wasted potential.
"should have won cup(s),"
You're kidding, right? Now if you are talking about Tampa, Oil or Avs that have multiple superstars on their team I would agree.
Canes win because of their coach and his system coupled with some good but not superstar type players, period. They don't have the superstar(s) up front, on D (although Slavin is damn good defensively, he's no Hedman or Makar) or in goal that is typically required to win a Cup.
Looking at Tampa's roster....with Vasy, Kucherov, Stamkos, Point, Hedman, plus the other core guys like Cirelli, Killorn, Palat, Gourde, Johnson, McDonough, they had the best roster in the NHL for many seasons.
IMO, Tampa should have won 5 or 6 cups, no less. They should have been the Islanders of the 80's and wasted potential losing to teams such as Columbus & Washington that had no where near the roster to beat them...but, they did.
Now, Tampa wasted generational potential