By: Lauren Burg
The National Hockey League (NHL) is often
times a league of parody. This usually means that once a team makes the
playoffs, whether they be a number 1 or 8 seed, they have a good chance of
going all the way to the Cup finals. However, there are some teams that are
primed for success, especially in the years to come, because of their depth in
the minor leagues, success of their prospects and the talent they already have
at the NHL level. In this article I plan to give you the five teams, in no
particular order, that I feel have the best shot at having long-term playoff
success and, possibly, winning a championship in the near future.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay is stock full of talent and I'm
not just talking about talent already in the NHL. Of course there's StevenStamkos, a finalist for both the Hart and Ted Lindsay awards and easily one of
the few elite players in the NHL these days. His statistics (60 goals, 97
points and plus-7, all an NHL best for him), and trophy case for that matter,
speaks for itself. However, you can't forget about Teddy Purcell, coming off
back-to-back career seasons, and the always dangerous Martin St. Louis. Stamkos
has four years remaining on his contract while Purcell has one year, though
it's possible Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman might extend him if he
keeps producing, and St. Louis has two years remaining.
Defensively, 2009 second overall draft
pick Victor Hedman keeps improving and, with a full season not hampered by
injuries, will just keep getting better. He also just signed a five year
contract last season. Marc-Andre Bergeron also hopes to be back with the Bolts
next season and, if he can stay healthy, could help out both defensively and
offensively , as he had 24 points and was a plus-6 in 43 games before
undergoing back surgery. In the goaltending department the Lightning have one
more year remaining on Mathieu Garon's contract and, if he stays healthy, he's
shown enough promise to be decent for the Bolts. The team still needs a starter
though; something they'll look at closely in the upcoming draft.
The Lightning, in the minor leagues, have
some great prospects just waiting for their turn to join the team. Rookie Brett
Connolly, the 2010 sixth overall draft pick, got his chance last season and,
though he struggled at times, the Lightning think he can improve and make a big
impact in the years to come. Last year's first round draft pick, Vladislav
Namestnikov, spent the 2011-2012 season with the Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
London Knights and, at last check, had a goal in every game of the Knights'
current playoff series and the Knights are one win away from advancing to the
Memorial Cup. The Lightning's ECHL affiliate, the Florida Everblades, have two
promising goaltenders in Pat Nagle and John Muse, second and third in ECHL
goals-against average (GAA), and begin Kelly Cup play May 14th.
As if that isn't enough to give them a
bright future the Lightning's AHL affiliate, the Norfolk Admirals, are one win
away from clinching a spot in the AHL's Eastern Conference finals. They also,
from February 10th until Game 2 of the quarterfinals against Manchester, won a
record 29 consecutive games. They did this while having some of their players,
including goaltender Dustin Tokarski, playing with the Lightning due to
numerous injuries. The Admirals also boast AHL MVP Cory Conacher (80 points and
a plus-19 in the regular season) who impressed Tampa Bay during 2011's Training
camp and signed a Lightning contract during the 2011-2012 season. Another name
to keep an eye on would be goaltender Jaroslav Janus, as he shut out the
Connecticut Whale tonight, giving the Admirals the chance to close out their
semifinal series on home ice Friday night. Janus also came up big when Tokarski
was summoned to the Lightning, helping to keep the Admirals record winning
streak going.
Florida Panthers
Florida, like Tampa Bay, has a lot of
talent in their minor league system. They don't have the same number of big
names though; at least not compared to the Lightning that is. However, that
doesn't mean they don't have good players because they most certainly do.
 |
| FanNation |
Veteran forward Stephen Weiss led the way
in the regular season, with 57 points and a plus-5 rating, but he had plenty of
help from at least a dozen newcomers, most notably free agent signees Kris
Versteeg and Jose Theodore. Versteeg finished the regular season with 54 points
and was a plus-4 while Theodore, though he battled a knee injury at times, led
the team with a 22-16-11-3 record, 2.46 GAA and a .917 save percentage. This
core helped win the Panthers their first ever Southeast Division title and took
them to the playoffs for the first time since 2000. In the playoffs Versteeg
and Weiss, along with numerous others, had five points but 2011 playoff hero,
then with the Lightning, Sean Bergenheim led the team with six points in the
postseason.
The Panthers AHL affiliate, the SanAntonio Rampage, has a great goaltending prospect in Jacob Markstrom and a
couple of good, young defenseman in Colby Robak and Tyson Strachan. Robak,
though only in three regular season games, was a plus-1 with the Panthers while
Strachan, in 15 regular season games with the Panthers, had three points (a
goal and two assists) and was also a plus-1. Strachan also played in the
Panthers 2012 quarterfinal series against the New Jersey Devils, recording one
point (an assist) and a plus-2 rating in two games. Markstrom, in seven regular
season games with the Panthers (six starts), was 2-4-1 with a 2.66 GAA and an
impressive .923 save percentage.
The Panthers also boast the Western
Hockey League (WHL) Defenseman of the Year in Alex Petrovic along with last
season's third overall draft pick in Jonathan Huberdeau, two players the team
hopes can make an impact at the NHL level in the next few years.
Edmonton Oilers
When you go through tough times for as
long as the Edmonton Oilers have you're almost guaranteed a bright future. Of
course, that means it benefits them to have three first-round draft picks, two
that went first overall the past two years, already playing in the big leagues.
Jordan Eberle, Taylor Hall and last seasons first overall draft pick, Ryan
Nugent-Hopkins, have proven to be gems for the Oilers and they also have the
first overall pick in the 2012 draft, with many thinking they will use that
pick on Sarnia Sting forward Nail Yakupov.
To give you some perspective, and an idea
of how formidable these four could be playing together, the April 2012 Draft
Preview issue of "The Hockey News" said that Yakupov broke Steven
Stamkos' scoring record with the Sting this past season. That's saying a lot,
especially considering what Stamkos has done at the NHL level thus far. Eberle
finished the 2011 season with 76 points and a plus-4 rating while Hall and
Nugent-Hopkins, both hampered by injuries, still finished with 53 and 52 points
respectively. They did struggle defensively but figure to get better with more
experience. Sam Gagner also had a nice season for the Oilers, racking up 47
points and a plus-5 rating in almost a full season (75 games played).
Goaltending wise Edmonton seems to be
set, with veteran, and 2004 Stanley Cup champion, Nikolai Khabibulin and the
young Devan Dubnyk teaming up. Last season, Dubnyk went 20-20-3-2 with a 2.67
GAA and a .914 save percentage. Khabibulin, though getting up there in age,
wasn't awful either, going 12-20-7-2 with a 2.65 GAA but a nice .910 save
percentage. The Oilers also figure to have Yann Danis waiting in the wings for
an opportunity to start for the Oilers.
Minnesota Wild
The Wild made a big splash during the
2011 offseason, sending Brent Burns to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for
Devin Setoguchi. The Wild once again missed the playoffs and, yes, Setoguchi
was probably a disappointment, only playing in 69 games and putting up 36
points and a horrendous minus-17 rating. It's possible, though, that last
season was just a bump in the road and he might be able to turn things around
in the 2012-2013 season.
The Wild still have Mikko Koivu who,
though plagued with injuries, once again put up huge numbers, with 44 points
and a plus-10 rating. Dany Heatley, also acquired in the trade last offseason
with the Sharks, picked up some of the scoring slack, playing every game and
collecting 53 points with a plus-2 rating.
In goal Niklas Backstrom and Josh Harding
split time, with Matt Hackett also getting a few starts. Backstrom was pretty
darn good, as per the usual with him, sporting a record of 19-18-7-4 with a
2.43 GAA and a .919 save percentage. He will also, most likely, be with the
Wild next season and possibly even seasons to come. Harding, on the other hand,
is likely to be shopped around this offseason but, should he stay with the
Wild, it wouldn't be awful, as he also boasted a winning 13-12-4-2 record with
a 2.62 GAA and a .917 save percentage. Hackett, though with not as much
experience, does have some experience, with a 3-6 record, 2.37 GAA and .922
save percentage.
The Wild, if they can stay healthy and
build their defense, have a good chance of making the playoffs in one of the
next few seasons and becoming a force to be reckoned with in the always
competitive Western Conference.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Like the Edmonton Oilers the Toronto
Maple Leafs have gone through plenty of tough times lately. Through those tough
times, however, the Leafs have gotten some good draft picks. While it's true
that the Leafs wasted some of their draft picks, under their former ownership
and former head coach in Ron Wilson, it's also possible that they can, with
Wilson gone, turn things around and start drafting some players that might make
an impact in the near future.
The Leafs endured a down year from much
of the team in 2010-2011 but in 2011-2012 Phil Kessel, Joffrey Lupul and James
Reimer helped give hope for the future, if anything, by playing incredibly
well. Kessel started the season scorching hot, leading the league in goal
scoring throughout the first month or so of the season. He slumped a bit down
the stretch but still finished with 82 points, 18 more than he had the previous
season. Joffrey Lupul flourished while playing alongside Kessel, especially on
the power play, putting up 67 points, eight power play goals and a plus-1
rating, after struggling with concussion issues in 2010-2011, earning him a
spot as one of three finalists for the Masterton Trophy. Mikhail Grabovski also
benefited from playing with Kessel and Lupul, especially on the power play,
finishing with five power play goals of the 23 goals he scored, 51 points and
an even +/- rating.
The goaltending department has also
gotten better for the Leafs in the past few years, with both James Reimer and
Ben Scrivens coming up from the Marlies of the AHL. Reimer, if he can stay
healthy, is a goaltender with lots of promise, as evidenced by his .900 save
percentage. Jonas Gustavsson, also injury prone unfortunately, went 17-17-4-4
with a 2.92 GAA and a .902 save percentage. Scrivens, in his time with the Leafs,
did pretty well with a .903 save percentage. He'll only benefit from more
experience, which he'll probably get, in the years to come.
The Leafs have a good AHL team also, with
the Marlies only one win away from advancing to the Calder Cup Eastern Conference
Finals. However, in the upcoming draft, the Leafs should, with a top 10 pick,
be looking to improve their defense, as their top defenseman, Dion Phaneuf, is
a minus-10 and many other defenseman struggled in 2011-2012 also.
In conclusion, I believe that with the
right moves, both via the draft and free agency, continued development of minor
league prospects and the continued success, and good health hopefully, of those
already in the NHL these five teams have a great chance of not only making the
playoffs regularly, similar to the Detroit Red Wings of this era, but also
possibly winning a championship in the years to come. Thank you for reading and
please feel free to leave me some comments, constructive criticism, etc.
**Note**
This is the opinion of one writer. I took
many things into account when choosing the teams I chose but, if your team
didn't make the cut, it doesn't mean they don't have a bright future. This
article also doesn't necessarily mean that the five teams mentioned will win a
Cup, or even have playoff success, in the years to come. I just think, using
the criteria I used, that they have the best chance at many years of playoff
success and, possibly, a Stanley Cup.
*All Tampa Bay Lightning statistics were
found here: http://lightning.nhl.com/club/stats.htm?season=20112012
*All Norfolk Admirals statistics were
found here: http://www.norfolkadmirals.com/team.php?id=roster
*All Florida Panthers player statistics
were found here:
http://panthers.nhl.com/club/stats.htm?gameType=2&season=20112012
*All Edmonton Oilers player statistics
were found here: http://oilers.nhl.com/club/stats.htm?season=20112012
*All Minnesota Wild player statistics
were found here: http://wild.nhl.com/club/stats.htm
*All Toronto Maple Leafs player
statistics were found here:
http://mapleleafs.nhl.com/club/stats.htm?season=20112012
*You can follow me, @TBLightning491, on
Twitter.*
#5 - Seattle Seahawks (7 points): Consistently one of the average to below average teams in the NFL. Lost points for numerous head coaching changes, and for the lack of any real free agent acquisitions over the years. Given some points for a great stadium and crowd, but offset by poor drafts and trades. Outside of SteveLargent, there aren't a lot of big recognizable names that played for any great length of time with Seattle. TheSeahawks also seemed to have become a haven for older players near the end of their careers at times.
#4 - Minnesota Timberwolves (3 points): A team that has never really had an identity, outside of being ousted in the first round of the playoffs for seven straight seasons during the Kevin Garnett era. Since KG's departure, Minnesota has yet to return to the post-season, and hasn't even managed a winning season. Attendance is among the lowest in the NBA, and the Ricky Rubio fiasco hasn't helped the image of this beleaguered franchise. 
#2 - Memphis/Vancouver Grizzlies (1 point): 17 Seasons, no division titles, and only four playoff appearances. A move from Vancouver to Memphis, and trading Pau Gasol both cost the Grizzlies some points. They get a little boost in points for the last two seasons, but still not enough to make up for all of the past futility. Ten head coaches in 17 years doesn't help either. Despite many years of poor showings, they still have good attendance, so that gives them a little point boost. Overall, still a sad franchise.
#1 - Los Angeles/San Diego Clippers/Buffalo Braves (-12 points): It doesn't get much worse than this. Founded in 1970 the Clippers have moved two times, and have (are you ready for this?) ZERO titles of any kind...not division, not conference, not league. In their 43 years of operation, the Clippers have had 19 different head coaches (including three in one season during the 1976-77 season) and have only reached the post-season eight times. The all-time win/loss record for the franchise is 1207-2123 (.362) and the post-season record is 20-27. They have only ever won two playoff series (1976, 2006). Even having five rookie of the year winners, and one MVP winner, the Clippers still couldn't even come close to breaking into positive points on our scale. Truly, the Clippers are a model of modern inefficiency and futility.
I believe Bryce Harper will absolutely have more of an
immediate impact than Mike Trout. Don’t get me wrong, both are Grade A
Prospects, and both will undoubtedly have great careers at the major league
level, The difference is that Harper has a better path carved out for extended
playing time, while Trout could easily see his way back to the minors if he
shows any signs of struggle. Proof of that is that within a week of his
promotion, Harper has already claimed the 3 spot on the lineup of a first place
team. The Nationals/Expos franchise have also team not reached the playoffs in
25 years. 25 YEARS!! Throwing in injuries to the Nationals two greatest sources
of power in Ryan Zimmerman and Mike Morse, and Bryce Harper perhaps becomes
the most important hitter in the Nationals lineup already, while the ceiling
for Mike Trout this year is probably batting .300 with a lot of singles. If the
Nationals are going to make the playoffs, Bryce Harper is going to have to keep
hitting
