NHL Prospects: Who Has The Best Group

It’s one thing to win the Stanley Cup, but it’s another to have the NHL prospects in your system to make sure your team can remain a contender. In most cases we find that the top tier NHL teams are the ones with a weaker farm system. Mainly because they have mortgaged the farm to get to a Stanley Cup level. In a world when it’s all win now and worry later it seems NHL teams that stink have finally something to show for it. In a recent Pro Hockey Talk report a list of teams with the best NHL prospects shows losing is not all bad and at some point you will have some talent to show for wasting fans money.

For years some teams drag their fans to the bottom of fandom in what franchises down years. For some NHL cities with a rich history of stinking you would think their farm system would be rich with NHL prospects, and you may be right. The flip side to that are teams that seem to always be on the edge of greatness, but always seem to fall a little shot when push comes to shove. When you look over the list of teams with the best NHL prospects one thing does stand out. You want to be in the middle of the pack.  Success in the NHL is directly related to finding the right balance.

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  1. Edmonton Oilers
  2. Toronto Maple Leafs
  3. Buffalo Sabres
  4. Arizona Coyotes
  5. New York Islanders
  6. Winnipeg Jets
  7. Detroit Red Wings
  8. Columbus Blue Jackets
  9. Calgary Flames
  10. Philadelphia Flyers
  11. Carolina Hurricanes
  12. Nashville Predators
  13. St.Louis Blues
  14. Tampa Bay Lightning
  15. Vancouver Canucks
  16. Chicago Blackhawks
  17. Montreal Canadiens
  18. Boston Bruins
  19. San Jose Sharks
  20. Anaheim Ducks
  21. Washington Capitals
  22. Florida Panthers
  23. Ottawa Senators
  24. Dallas Stars
  25. Colorado Avalanche
  26. New Jersey Devils
  27. Los Angeles Kings
  28. Minnesota Wild
  29. New York Rangers
  30. Pittsburgh Penguins

It’s hard to sell the future when you have no future stars. Teams like the New York Rangers and the Los Angeles Kings have sold fans on winning but as we have seen even the mighty fall short. While their rivals have found a balance between NHL stars and role players. Emptying your AHL or OHL assets in an attempt to buy a Stanley Cup doesn’t work well. You need systems and you need to develop your own talent in today;s NHL. The sooner some teams learn this the happier they will be. There are somethings money can buy, but  a Stanley Cup costs more than writing a check.

If you want to be among the NHL elite you need to properly develop your franchise top to bottom; not simple stack the parent club. While historically bad over the past two-year the Oilers and Sabres have done just that. While the Rangers and Penguins have relied on a few players to make them relevant. Every NHL fans dreams of their team winning a Stanley Cup, but that could be just a flash in the pan if your team has no clue how to grow talent.

I’d love to say my team is a Stanley Cup champions, but It would be even better to know that as stars age and talent moves on my team wont miss a beat because they did things right.

Next: Are The Ducks Going Mighty?

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