What teams are best set for contending the next 5yrs?

[Lshap]

yes, but 5 years from now is very different from "over the next 5 years".

Yes, the thread title sounds like it's asking which current contenders will remain contenders over the next five years. Frankly, the most logical answer is none of them. The next year or two? Sure. Over five years? Doubtful. Which is probably why the conversation has drifted into the more interesting tangent of upcoming contenders.

And that's where teams like San Jose, Montreal, Anaheim, Seattle, etc. come in. It's a safe bet that between now and 5 years, at least one bottom team will become a contender, while at the same time many top teams will fall out of the playoffs.

 

[dgibb10]

Yes, the thread title sounds like it's asking which current contenders will remain contenders over the next five years. Frankly, the most logical answer is none of them. The next year or two? Sure. Over five years? Doubtful. Which is probably why the conversation has drifted into the more interesting tangent of upcoming contenders.

And that's where teams like San Jose, Montreal, Anaheim, Seattle, etc. come in. It's a safe bet that between now and 5 years, at least one bottom team will become a contender, while at the same time many top teams will fall out of the playoffs.

I'd say the top 5 teams of the last 5 years have been VGK, Colorado, Tampa, Florida, and Boston.

4/5 of them were already contenders 6 and 7 years ago.

And florida was more mediocre than bottom feeder. They were projected to make the playoffs preseason of 19-20

You can throw in Dallas, Carolina, TML, Edmonton, and NYR to round out the 10 best teams if you want. Only NYR and Edmonton weren't projected to make the playoffs heading into 2019-2020

Teams like Anaheim, MTL, SJS likely have best case scenarios of 3 playoff appearances in the next 5 years.

 

[TheDoldrums]

Reading much? Top9 aint a topliner... That is part of the 3 top lines. Helps to comprehend what you read. "7of the 9 topliners" usually mean Top9 doesnt it?

"9 topliners" to describe the top 9 is not something I've ever heard or anyone has ever said. Sounds like you're saying 9 players capable of playing on the top line. Helps to be writing in your first language when you act condescending Laine fan!

 

[dalewood12]

Dallas
Vancouver
New Jersey

 

[Chaos2k7]

It takes both the organization proving their plan and worth to the players they want to retain and a desire from those said players to stay within the team framework to keep the band together.

AM34 for an example gave no discount to the Leafs in negotiations while simultaneously reaping all the tax benefits of a no state income tax with the way they set up his bonus structure and yearly salaries inside of his new deal. While still having access to all the extra opportunities to make cash away from the rink in one of the largest markets in the league.

Nowadays players have enough knowledge and financial planning/assistance to be able to make many of these perceived tax advantages work for them regardless of where they are playing.

Winning in this league is alot more complicated than simple geography and tax brackets unfortunately.