SoMnFan
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Burnside
It is the nature of sports to celebrate the victors and almost in the same breath look ahead to see who might topple them.
The NHL is no exception.
The Chicago Blackhawks have established themselves as a paragon of success. Having collected three championships in the past six seasons, they are essentially without peer.
They draft well, general manager Stan Bowman has done a masterful job of managing the salary cap as well as keeping his talented core together, and they have enjoyed some good fortune along the way.
The challenge for Bowman will not become any easier given the salary cap pressures the team is against and the need to bring young stars like Brandon Saad under contract.
Could they win it again next June?
Of course. We should all know by now not to underestimate this team.
But if not Chicago, then who?
Here’s a look at some challengers who could be ready to dethrone the newly crowned champions.
Tampa learned how to win in this postseason, something that could help it take the final step next season. Dave Sandford/NHLI/Getty Images
Tampa Bay Lightning
It will be a hard summer ahead for captain Steven Stamkos, who did not score a goal in the Stanley Cup finals and in Game 6 was denied on a breakaway by goaltender Corey Crawford and also hit the crossbar. But Stamkos is one of the reasons this Lightning team could go all the way next season. The lessons of losing are hard but necessary. The Lightning took a big step this spring after being swept last spring in the first round by the Montreal Canadiens. The Lightning will return a solid group of young, talented forwards led by Stamkos and Tyler Johnson. And the real reason for optimism is the emergence of Victor Hedman as an elite defenseman who does it all, playing alongside Anton Stralman, an underappreciated piece to the puzzle. The Lightning have all the tools to take that final step.
Anaheim Ducks
The Ducks had Chicago on the ropes, leading the Western Conference finals 3-2, but couldn’t close the deal. Some of that is undoubtedly due to the Hawks being the Hawks. Some of it is due to the Ducks not being ready to be the Hawks yet. But GM Bob Murray has done a great job collecting a big, fast, balanced team, and coach Bruce Boudreau, in spite of losing three straight playoff series in Game 7 at home, has taken his team one step further in each of the past three postseasons. That pattern suggests a trip to the finals next spring, and we wouldn’t bet against it.
Los Angeles Kings
Only the Kings have approached the kind of success the Blackhawks have had in recent years with Stanley Cup wins in 2012 and 2014 and a trip to the Western Conference finals in between. Yes, they missed the playoffs this season, and they still need to sort out what will happen to defenseman Slava Voynov, who was charged with spousal abuse. GM Dean Lombardi also has the challenge of trying to move Mike Richards. But they have a Norris Trophy nominee in Drew Doughty, an all-world goaltender in Jonathan Quick, and they quite simply are built for the playoffs. They’ll be back, and watch out.
New York Rangers
The defending Presidents’ Trophy winners were knocked off in the Eastern Conference finals by the Lightning at home in Game 7. That never happens. But it did. Rick Nash cooled off in the playoffs after a strong regular season, and Keith Yandle -- acquired at great expense at the trade deadline -- was not the difference-maker the Rangers had hoped he’d be. But the defense remains rock solid, and there’s Henrik Lundqvist in goal. The window is closing fast on this group, but the Rangers look to have one more strong, long run in them if they can improve the offense a bit. They were shut out twice in the last three games of the conference finals.
Minnesota Wild
The Wild were swept by Chicago in the second round, and that was, frankly, more than a bit of a shock given how well Minnesota played in defeating the St. Louis Blues in the first round. But like the Bolts, the Wild are slowly learning how to not just make the playoffs but win once they get there. Assuming Devan Dubnyk returns to the fold, the Wild have a nice blend of savvy veterans and intriguing young players who will be asked to do more next season. We remain puzzled by Thomas Vanek's continued playoff tanking. Coach Mike Yeo will have to find a way to get Vanek to contribute more if the team is ever going to leapfrog Chicago or Los Angeles. But the pieces are there in Minnesota for a long-awaited Cup run.
St. Louis Blues
Yes, we know that the Blues have been plagued by early playoff exits in recent years, including losing to Minnesota in six games in the first round this spring. But look at the makeup of this team, and it’s everything you want in a Cup contender: great defense (Kevin Shattenkirk would have ended up on the Norris ballot if he didn't get injured after the All-Star break), emerging young scoring stars like Vladimir Tarasenko and hard-nosed veterans. The goaltending remains a soft spot, as neither Brian Elliott nor Jake Allen could rise to the occasion against the Wild, but the Blues are still a very good team waiting to turn the education of losing into the business of winning.
Boston Bruins
Yeah, we know, the Bruins didn’t even make the playoffs. And we know new GM Don Sweeney has his work cut out for him in trying to keep key pieces like defenseman Dougie Hamilton in the fold. But the Bruins still have oodles of good young talent learning the game both up front and along the blue line, and the core, which includes former Vezina Trophy winner Tuukka Rask, Zdeno Chara, Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci and Brad Marchand, should have at least one more Cup run in them before the window closes. The Bruins also returned Claude Julien as coach, and if there’s anyone who can get the B's back to the big stage, it’s Julien.
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Play like a Pirate.
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