Tampa Bay: Are we witnessing the best roster in the cap era?

[Hatter of the Beach]

That team won a cup, and I think a cup is a qualifier for this conversation, so I don't think TB is really in the conversation as of now. That said, as crazy as it might seem, I think when all is said and done, there's a good chance even more players on the current TB roster will wind up in the HOF.

Year before won the cup. Second year they had Hossa

 

[CupsOverCash]

-Down 3-2 in both series

Look at the domination! Only thing more dominant is being down 3-1 or 3-0

I was surprised to be up in both of those series. The ice was tilted in both. The playoffs have been fun. Last year was the first time I had the expectation to win it all. The other 2 times we got far 2015 and 16 we weren't a cup favorite like last year. Our fans on our board wasnt expecting it.

We got some favorable match ups and some heroic performances from some players on our roster. Some of whom we dont depend on as much now as we did then. We now have them as our depth role players which means we are deeper now than we were then. Our coaching has been noticeably better than then too as has been pointed out by TB fans.

I'm still worried about Toronto, Boston, Washington and Pittsburgh but I like our chances too. The expectations are bigger than ever. If we dont do it this year expect some firings and possibly some roster shake up. Nothing too dramatic but some moves. Either way we will be but depending on what happens is who that will be is another question. Either way I'm sure it will be entertaining, which is why we watch right?

 

[MadLuke]

13% rounded to nearest percent.

I mean 4 series in a row (the cup), not 4 games in a row.

 

[wetcoast]

You have to win the Cup to be declared the best. Something Tampa doesn't have accomplished yet.

Not in a league with 31 teams, that's just outdated thinking.

 

[GordieHowsUrBreath]

Huh? They were incredible supplementary players to one of the best cores in the past 10 years.

the same can be said about hornquist, guentzel, bonino, letang, kunitz, hagelin etc but nobody mentions them to prop up the pens, who btw had the best roster and best team post lockout in 2016

 

[Peiskos]

I’d say yes but the Leafs utterly dominated them with ease when we played, yes TOR lost but we out shot Tampa 50-20 and they couldn’t even maintain possession while relying on their goalie to play like god, granted I don’t watch Tampa a lot but jeez they looked like garbage in that game so hard for me to say they’re the best roster in the cap era.

Also didn’t the Canucks rough them up?

No offence but if a thread was made about the Leafs like this people would be saying to calm down, you should too.

 

[rocketdan9]

No

Win a cup 1st

 

[CupsOverCash]

I’d say yes but the Leafs utterly dominated them with ease when we played, yes TOR lost but we out shot Tampa 50-20 and they couldn’t even maintain possession while relying on their goalie to play like god, granted I don’t watch Tampa a lot but jeez they looked like garbage in that game so hard for me to say they’re the best roster in the cap era.

Also didn’t the Canucks rough them up?

No offence but if a thread was made about the Leafs like this people would be saying to calm down, you should too.

No the Canucks didn't rough us up. Dont know where you got that from. Also I wouldn't put much into a regular season game against us. Last year the Bruins dominated us in regular season games except 1 and we dominated them in the playoffs. Not saying you should think we are the best team or anything just saying I wouldnt put much into what you see in the regular season. Playoffs are a total different animal.

 

[ColbyChaos]

the same can be said about hornquist, guentzel, bonino, letang, kunitz, hagelin etc but nobody mentions them to prop up the pens, who btw had the best roster and best team post lockout in 2016

Because the players on chicago were actually good enough to play important roles on every international teams and be all stars in the league while noone cares about nobodies like Kunitz, Hagelin, Hornqvist, Bonino in 4 years lmao. Pretty much half of Chicago's team was playing in the olympics for various countries in both 2010 and 14 Pit's nobodies are no where close to that.

Sharp, Prime Seabrook, Byfuglien, Hjalmarsson, Campbell are miles better than Kunitz, Bonino, Rust, Sheary, Hagelin, Hornqvist and co ever were in their careers. 4 top pairing D and a top 5 LW and you think they are comparable those nobodies? Dupuis, Kunitz, Hagelin, Rust, Sheary, Hornqvist, Bonino, and Guentzal would all be bottom 6 players on every chicago cup team and Letang doesnt even crack their top pair. Even 3rd line Chicago players like Teuvo, Versteeg, and Ladd blow Hornqvist's best season ever out of the water. They arent in the same stratosphere as Chicago's supporting cast.

2nd they didnt have the best team post lockout either 08 Wings, 10 Hawks, 13 Hawks all were better by significant margins Pit doesnt have the depth to hang with any of them

 

[ColbyChaos]

Say it one more time please



Almost every team that wins the cup has guys comparable to those players though. Seabrook belongs in the core group but Byfuglien at forward? a solid player but not the guy he is now, Ladd and Versteeg were 50 point guys, Bolland was a 40 point agitator who couldnt stay healthy etc. Hjalmarsson was a really good shut down D but he was a second pairing guy

Those are really good depth players but outside of Seabrook none of those guys were close to stars like the poter you were responding to asked in the first place. Most teams that win the cup have a list of depth players like that

Name 60 Dmen that were better than Hjalmarsson through that entire period of time

 

[daver]

Best combo of RS success and Cup win:

Hawks 12/13 - .802 P%
Wings 07/08 - 115 points (701 P%)
Hawks 09/10 - 112 points
Pens 16/17 - 111 points

And this is almost how I would rank the best teams of the Cap era.

Wings 07/08
Hawks 12/13
Hawks 09/10, Pens - 15/16

 

[Artorius Horus T]

.....that can't win a Stanley Cup.

 

[holy]

They finna choke again anyways. Maybe they'll get shutout in 3 straight games this time to fumble a series.

 

[libertarian]

Honestly I think they are very beatable in a playoff series. Not by every team but I think that the top end ones or ones who can play them properly it won't be easy, but they are beatable.

However in the regular season when they just keep rolling they are in a league of their own.

I agree that the Bolts are beatable in the PO's until the prove they are not. The Caps had this same issue until last year. If the Bolts have the best roster/team in the league then they need to prove it in the PO's. If they can't then they do not have the best team. That said this may be the year that they win it all in the PO's.

 

[Oddbob]

I'm sorry, but what has Tampa won that crowns them as best of anything? When they win a cup, then they can be bragged up, until then, they are no different than Washington before they finally won the big one last season. Are they a great team, sure they are, but they haven't won the cup and that is all that matters, when discussing what team or teams are best!

 

[Chuck Norris Trophy]

On paper? I'd say yes.

 

[Tamfastic]

I'm sorry, but what has Tampa won that crowns them as best of anything? When they win a cup, then they can be bragged up, until then, they are no different than Washington before they finally won the big one last season. Are they a great team, sure they are, but they haven't won the cup and that is all that matters, when discussing what team or teams are best!

I would say, that winning a cup has actually nothing to do with being the best team. Being the best team means that you have the best CHANCE to win the cup.

 

[JoVel]

I would say, that winning a cup has actually nothing to do with being the best team. Being the best team means that you have the best CHANCE to win the cup.

And even then the odds are against you.

 

[TheSituation]

Not without winning a cup.

 

[Sky04]

They finna choke again anyways. Maybe they'll get shutout in 3 straight games this time to fumble a series.

Oh look a Montreal fan, aka the club with all the league rejects

 

[Nalens Oga]

This is definitely not the best roster in the cap era. I'd say this team is however one of the best combinations of a good roster and good coaching.

I think Cooper elevates this team to a better standing than the actual roster despite what people might say about his playoff line matching issues.

 

[blankall]

Great team. Cup favorites, but in no way the best since the cap. The Flames, who have a number of weak points, played them pretty evenly last night. I'd say the Lightning are a cup favorite, but there have been much better teams. The way I see their roster:

Kucherov: elite and one of the best in the game.
Stamkos: taken a slight step back, but still a great player.
Point: Young up and coming player. Not quite elite though.
Hedman: Norris candidate.
McDonough: Great #2 defenceman.
Vasilievsky: Very solid goaltender.
Johnson: great depth scorer.

The above is definitely a winning combination. However, how does that make them better than some of the other great combos we've had:

1. Kane/Towes/Hossa/Sharp/Keith
2. Malkin/Crosby/Letang/Kessel/Fleury
3. Ovechkin/Kuznetsov/Backstrom/Johhansen/Holtby
4. Datsyuk/Zetterberg/Lidstrom/Hasek

There have been a lot of great combos since the cap.

 

[Lemieuxs]

Tampa is an excellent drafting team.

 

[CharaBadSenyshynGawd]

the same can be said about hornquist, guentzel, bonino, letang, kunitz, hagelin etc but nobody mentions them to prop up the pens, who btw had the best roster and best team post lockout in 2016

Incorrect.

 

[Werewolf]

This is not the best version of the Lightning we are going to see. Replace Girardi with Foote, Coburn with Sergachev, replace Callahan with one of Stephens, Volkov, Katchouk, Raddysh. Joseph, Point, Cirelli, Serg, etc more mature in a few years and our core still in their prime. There will be a more dominant version of this team in two years time.