which teams could win it all within the next three years?

[yave1964]

Been kind of composing this in my mind as I was rgoofing around at the pumpkin patch with the wife and family and had time on my hands. The question is this

 

WHICH TEAMS COULD YOU REALISTICALLY SEE WINNING THE CUP WITHIN THE NEXT THREE YEARS? I never like to look beyond that, five years is a lifetime for an NHL team, probably about a fifty percent roster turnover for most teams, coaches might be hired and fired in that time two or three times. My question is which teams could win the cup within the next three years which is a way of asking how close teams are to winning the cup. Here are my answers

 

WINDOW OPEN RIGHT NOW

Colorado

Tampa Bay

Florida

Toronto

Carolina

Rangers

Calgary

Edmonton

Minnesota

 

WINDOW OPEN STILL BUT CLOSING FAST

(These teams are likely in their last season of realistically having any chance)

Pittsburgh

Washington

Vegas

St. Louis

 

THESE TEAMS THINK THEY HAVE A CHANCE BUT FOR VARIOUS REASONS HAVE ZERO CHANCE AT ALL

Vancouver

Islanders

Boston

Nashville

 

THESE TEAMS ARE A FEW BREAKS AWAY FROM CONTENDING WITHIN THREE YEARS

not now, but if things break right they could be right there within the window

Ottawa

Detroit

Kings

Ducks

New Jersey

Columbus

 

ABSOLUTELY NO CHANCE TO WIN A CUP WITHIN THREE YEARS UNDER ANY SCENARIO

Buffalo

Arizona

Winnipeg

Philadelphia

Montreal

Seattle

Chicago

San Jose

Dallas

 

A few notes...

 

IMHO the most inept least cup ready team in the entire NHL is San Jose, they have about four NHL players who could win the cup but if they do it will have to be elsewehre because they have more C minus or D talent than any team in the league at all positions and with only a few players nearly ready who could even be described as B or B plus talent. 

Arizona I almost moved up a notch believe it or not, just so many draft picks that they are bound to hit on some of them and a fair amount of young talent nearly ready

 

Buffalo was hard to list, They have some talent I just dont think they have the pieces to make them true contenders for a cup. Carolina and Minnesota I felt a bit strange listting them as cup ready now, Carolina has made so many bad moves and adding broke down Pacioretty and aging Burns may help but IDK. The Wild are fighting through Cap Hell and so many players had career years and usually what goes up comes down, but the cap going up helps them as much or more as any team.

 

Columbus has some serious young talent with Kent Johnson and Sillinger ready now, and defenseman Jiricek and mayeychuk will provide a talent influx within a year or two. I think they win the Division within three years. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 8, 2022 by yave1964

[thegx.ca]

Calgary they making all kinds of long term signings including their most important signing of all extending Sutter again haha

[Math]

I'd move the Stars to "THESE TEAMS THINK THEY HAVE A CHANCE BUT FOR VARIOUS REASONS HAVE ZERO CHANCE AT ALL". I frankly think the prospect pool is above average, we """""might"""""" have a top League goaltender, but as long as Benn and Seguin anchor the team, there's zero chance. And by the time these contracts vanish in the vortex of unavoidable mistakes, the front office will manage to give other albatross deals to some slow washed-up vets, which would translate for the team to rot indefinitely in this category.