Updated: Mar 22
Across the last 10 seasons in the NHL, there have been a number of amazing teams that both went on to win the cup, and went on to waste their chances at winning the cup, and today I will be ranking the last 10 winners of the coveted Stanley Cup. Here we go!
10. 2019 St Louis Blues
The Blues, although last on the list, were an amazing Stanley Cup story, being one of the least favourite teams to win the Cup in history. Coming into the 2108/19 season, they were stacked with talent such as Vladimir Tarasenko, Ryan O’Reilly, and Alex Pietrangelo, but one big problem going into this season was the head coach. With Mike Yeo starting the season coaching the Blues, they got off to a terrible start going 7-9-3, resulting in one of the best decisions the Blues could have possibly made, firing Mike Yeo and hiring the assistant coach as interim, Craig Berube. The Blues entered the new year being the worst team in the NHL with an appalling record of 15-18-4, and were in pole position for the number overall selection in the draft, but despite the terrible form the team had been in, they continued to believe and have faith in the system. Arguably the best decision the Blues made that season was inducting rookie goaltender and now household name Jordan Binnington into the team, leading to an 11 game winning streak, and finishing the regular season with a 30-10-5 record, clinching themselves a playoff spot.
Going into the postseason, the Blues were not a flashy team and didn't have any promise, but one player who kept the hope in Missouri, was Selke trophy winner, and soon to be Conn Smythe winner, Ryan O’Reilly. With a solid offensive core, the Blue went on to beat the Jets, the Stars, and the Sharks before matching up against an extremely dangerous Boston Bruins team, but ended up scraping their way through a tough series, winning the infamous game 7 to win the biggest prize of them all. Although the Blues have an amazing cup winning story going from worst to best (literally), they did not impress as much as the other winners in the postseason, putting up an overall record of 16-10 in the playoffs, putting them at the number 10 spot.
9. 2017 Pittsburgh Penguins
Similarly to the Blues in 2019, the Penguins fall into the number 9 spot purely because of the performance in the finals and the playoffs as a whole. After winning the Cup against the Predators in a 6 game series, it was clear the Penguins were facing up against a lacklustre opponent in a young Predators team, and was nowhere near close enough as good as their cup win the season before in 2016. Despite having a better record in 2017 of 50-21-11 in the regular season compared with the 2016 season, it would have been tough to top the performance they had in the previous postseason, and to put up an extremely entertaining show like they did in 2017. Although they may not have shined so brightly in the postseason in 2017, with future hall of famer and Rocket Richard Trophy winner at the time Sidney Crosby, the Pens were bound to put up a dominant performance, but did not show as much hunger as the year before. It's no doubt this team was good, very good in fact, but with a postseason record of 16-9, and nowhere near as dominant as their run in 2016, they dropped to the number 8 spot, with not so many memorable moments as the other cup winners.
8. 2018 Washington Capitals
It's tough for me to put the Capitals cup winning year at number eight, purely because of what the win meant for number eight himself, Alexander Ovechkin. The Capitals winning the cup was no question a moment to smile at for all NHL fans (Except Golden Knights fans) solely because of the great eight winning his first, and very well deserved Stanley cup, to add to his already amazing career. But despite the Capitals success being a fan favourite, in reality they were not one of the best teams to ever win it, but were definitely one of the most passionate and determined teams to win it. After being eliminated by Cup champions Pittsburgh in 2016 and 2017, Barry Trotz had only one thing in his mind come the postseason in 2018, and that to get one over on the Capitals long term rivals, the Penguins. After a shaky first round versus the Blue Jackets, Trotz and his Capitals found themselves up against the defending champions Pittsburgh, and fought harder than ever, beating them in 6 games to advance to the eastern conference finals, giving Washington a clear path to the Stanley Cup finals. The Capitals then went on to beat the once deemed ‘Untouchable’ top seeded Tampa Bay Lightning team in the ECF who had been on a long journey for playoff success, but once again fell to Washington after leading the series 3-2, resulting in a game 7 loss at home.
Heading into the finals against the new Vegas Golden Knights who miraculously reached the finals in their inaugural season, the 2018 Rocket Richard winner, Alexander Ovechkin had nothing on his mind but success, and after a hard fought 5 games, Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals won their first ever Stanley Cup in front of a Vegas crowd, an image that will be remembered forever. However, the Capitals have fell to the number eight spot for one reason. The other winners were slightly better. I know it sounds silly, but it's true. I believe the Capitals fit perfectly into the number eight spot because they were a rather scrappy team, as winning was their only goal, and not to entertain. But, its without question a win that will go down in history as it possibly, the only Stanley cup the great eight will ever win, and a win that will never be forgotten.
7. 2024 Florida Panthers
There is one main reason I've decided to put Florida at seven. Connor McDavid. Simple. Some may disagree, but despite bouncing back from losing the cup in 2023, they were dominated by a single player in the finals, that put the ranking way down for me. I truly believe Florida is a perfect fit for the number seven spot because they weren't the best but were not the worst. I also strongly believe when a player of the losing team wins the Conn Smythe trophy, it's not a good sign. The Panthers went 52-24-6 in the regular season, going into the postseason as one of the most dominant teams, and a high favourite to win after just missing out on cup glory in 2023, and would have easily been a top 3 team in this list had they not blown a 3-0 lead in the finals. Florida probably had one of the most stacked and complete teams that has won the cup in the last 10 years, with Tkachuk, Barkov, Montour, Bobrovsky, too many to name, and all had very impressive performances in the playoffs, but being dominated by a single player in the finals, the biggest games of their lives is nothing to brush over.
Going into the finals against another stacked team in the Edmonton Oilers, the matchup looked to be one for the history books, until the Panthers took a 3-0 lead in the series, and looked like they would complete a rather underwhelming sweep over Edmonton. But, we should have known Mr. McDavid was not going to let that happen. Bringing the series back to 3-3 almost by himself, it looked like Florida could choke once again in the finals, until game 7 at home when they finally managed to shut out McDavid and win their first ever Stanley Cup. Although with McDavid winning the Conn Smythe, it puts Florida way further down in the list, as they could have gone 16-5 in the playoffs capping off an unbelievable display, but ended on a 16-8 record. But being beaten to the Conn Smythe by a player on the losing team, tell you something about how good this team really was in reality, and why they are only number seven on the list.
7. 2021 Tampa By Lightning
Next up on the list is the 2020/21 Tampa Bay Lightning, the only other team on the list to go back to back. Now this is where it got tricky. With lots of great options coming up, it was a tough choice to put the lightnings 2021 season at number 6, as it was a very impressive season under the circumstances of Covid 19 and the division realignments, but as we know, the lightning prevailed and went on to win their second in a row in 2021. Arguably the team with the most stars on the list, finishing 36-17-3 in the regular season, with elite talent across the ice, it was kind of obvious the Lightning would be back in the finals, and were probably assumed the champions from the get go, but I've had to put this team at number 6 purely because of the situation. Not that many games, division switch ups with easier opponents, and a somewhat forgettable season in all honesty. But, that doesn't take away the fact that this team defended their title better than anybody, and managed to keep all their stars consistent, and never really felt any pressure on their cup hopes.
Going into the postseason they had some fun matchups against the Islanders and Florida who they only just managed to beat in the first round, but another key reason for this rather low ranking on the list is due to the finals opponents. No hate to the Canadiens, but nobody really knows how Montreal reached the finals that year, but they did it, and they did it well, but were really no matchup for the Lightning, at all really. The Lightning managed to top the Habs in 5 games to win their second cup in a row, and showed why they were and would continue to dominate with such a strong team, but unfortunately does not crack the top 5 on this list.
5. 2016 Pittsburgh Penguins
And here we are, in the top five, starting off with the 2016 Pittsburgh Penguins. There are multiple reasons as to why the Penguins start off the top 5, one being Mike Sullivan, Two being the roster, and three being the goaltending. In 2016, I had no doubt after the appointment of Mike Sullivan as head coach that the Penguins would win the cup. Yeah they may not have won the presidents trophy, they may not have dominated the playoffs, but they just had the perfect team. Crosby, perfect leadership, Malkin, perfect partner, Letang, perfect one way D-man, and Marc-Andre Fleury, the perfect goaltender. Despite teams amongst them during their postseason also having a threatening roster, nobody had anything quite like the chemistry of the 2016 Pittsburgh Penguins. They had one of the hardest journeys to the finals in 2016, matching up versus the Rangers, the president trophy winner Capitals with Rocket winner Ovechkin, and the Lightning, who didn't have the Lightning. But what won the Penguins that cup in 2016 was their determination and will to win, and the bond they had as a team. Despite going 16-8 in the playoffs, those 8 loses were evidence of the fight they went through to win that cup, and that's what lands them in the number 5 spot, their will to win, and the enjoyment the team brought to not only Pens fans, but NHL fans as a whole to watch that Penguins unit work during their prime. A real joy to watch.
4. 2015 Chicago Blackhawks
Coming in at number four we have the 2015 Chicago Blackhawks, the final cup of their 3 cup dynasty in the early 2010s, and to be honest probably the worst out of the 3, but still an unbelievable team. Coming off of two amazing cup wins in 2010 and 2013 including the amazing comeback versus Boston in 2013, the 2014/15 season looked like the last chance for the Hawks to get a cup before they started a decline with a number of stars retiring or leaving the team including Marian Hossa, a key figure in the Hawks dynasty. But what makes the 2015 win special is the fact they won it at home at the United Center in front of some of the best and most loyal fans in the NHL. With dominant franchise level players like Kane and Toews, the Lightning stood no chance, suffering a game 6 loss at the United Center at the hands of a Patrick Kane game winner. The Hawks 2015 win stands out because it capped off an amazing time for Chicago hockey, and was even more impressive than most Stanley Cup winning teams due to the longevity of the team.
The Blackhawks had a perfectly evened out team across the ice with Corey Crawford displaying magnificent performances for the Hawks all throughout the playoffs, Patrick Kane, Hossa and Shaw showing the dangerous goal scoring ability of the team on the breakaway, and two way defenseman such as Duncan Keith making sure the defence were in check including a mind blowing defensive performance in the Hawks second round sweep versus the Minnesota Wild. The Blackhawks 2015 win earns its spot at 4 due to consistent performances across the postseason and regular season, and showcasing how they all managed to live up to the pressure of winning a third, and all key players maintaining the ability to be key members of a cup winning team. Also, what grants this team the fourth spot on the list was the ability to see out games when they needed to. For example in game six versus the Lightning in the finals, the ability to close out the game, and to keep a low score line shows how they were a mature and composed team, a team that was constructed and worthy of a third Stanley cup in 6 seasons.
3. 2023 Vegas Golden Knights
Third, I've had to go for the 2023 Vegas Golden Knights, winning their first Stanley Cup in franchise history, after only 6 seasons since they were established. Vegas earned their spot in the top 3 due to the consistency they showed throughout their six years of existence, and in 2023 deserved to win it all, after one best regular season record of the past 10 years at 51-22-9. What also stands out about the 2023 Golden Knights, and what makes them special, is the roster they won the cup with. Being an expansion team is often hard, and is nearly always an instant rebuild, but not for the Knights as they reached the finals in their inaugural season in 2018, but were beaten out by the Capitals. But what stands out in particular is how they roster only changed slightly, adding a few more stars such as Jack Eichel to the team since 2018, but keeping many of the first ever players to put on a Golden Knights jersey, such as William Karlsson. This is one of the main reasons I've put the Knights at number three because of the players that won the cup, and some of the redemption stories that came with that amazing season.
Although the Knights postseason performance is definitely not something to brush over, with a 16-6 record overall in the playoffs, before putting up a dominant performance against the Panthers to win their first ever Stanley Cup. I believe the Golden Knights sit well in third as they were one of the more entertaining and well oiled teams going into the finals, and one of the teams from the past 10 years who looked the most confident heading into the finals, with nothing to lose.
2. 2020 Tampa Bay Lightning
The penultimate spot on the list has to go to the 2020 Tampa Bay Lightning. Arguably one of the most fun, dominant, and slick teams to have won the cup, and definitely their most complete team in recent history. Like in 2021, Tampa's team were just an unstoppable force, Hedman played out of his skin, Vasilevskiy was like a brick wall, and with fierce goal scorers like Brayden Point and Hart Memorial Trophy winner Nikita Kucherov charging the net, it was a near impossible task to stop the Lightning in 2020. After disappointing postseasons in 2018 and 2019, the Lightning had a fierce mentality to go in and win, and boy did they. Overall going 16-6 in the playoffs, they charged into the finals with nothing but cup glory on their mind, and they got it. After coming off of the biggest upset in NHL playoff history in 2019 after being swept 4-0 by the Columbus Blue Jackets, the team felt hard done by and in 2020 showed why their team was the best, and almost every big name, including more return to Tampa to win what they deserved. There was not one aspect of that Tampa team in 2020 which did not shine during the regular season, or the playoffs, with an elite goaltender, elite defenseman across the top 4, and a franchise level top 6 forward group, the Lightning deserved it more than anyone, except the team at number 1.
2022 Colorado Avalanche
Taking the number one spot on the list, and the best team to win the Stanley Cup in the last 10 seasons has to be the 2022 Colorado Avalanche. Without a doubt the most dominant team going into the postseason in 2022, with a record of 56-19-7, and a scary team to face up against. Going into 2022, the stakes were never higher for the Avalanche as they had all the makings of a Stanley Cup winner, way before the season even started. With elite forward groups across all 4 lines including Franchise players like Nathan Mackinnon, Miko Rantanen and Valeri Nichushkin, all coming into their prime, they were unstoppable throughout the season. The Avs were also equipped with a defensive core never really seen before with franchise defenseman Cale Makar who all won the Norris award that year, were a hard group to score on. And finally a solid goaltending group with two tenders who could easily first into any situation possible. It was no question the Avs would make the playoffs that year, but with an astonishing 16-4 record in the playoff, they deserve the number 1 spot on this list far more than anyone else.
What made this Colorado team so special, was the resilience and pure domination they had all throughout the playoffs, sweeping an Oilers team with Draisaitl and McDavid in their prime who were heavy contenders for the cup, and beating out the defending two time champions Tampa Bay in six games at Tampa to bring home the cup. The circumstances for a number of these players also boosts their ranking on the list, with players like Nathan Mackinnon cementing his place in history as one of the greatest players of all time, but winning the chip in 2022 was all he needed to back up that argument. Also, long time captain Gabriel Landeskog went into the 2021/22 season with the possibility of it being his last chance at the cup, with a number of injuries and age haunting his chances at longevity and another opportunity at the cup. All in all, Colorado took the number one spot because of how fun, dominant, and outright they were as winners, and the consistency of elite level players throughout the regular and postseason.
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