Ranking the top 5 greatest NHL dynasties of the modern era

3. New York Islanders

Years: 1980 to 1983

Stanley Cups: 4

I wrote a bit about the New York Islanders and their dynasty recently, so you can read that here. The Islanders are a bit of a fascinating dynasty because they were sandwiched between the legendary Montreal Canadiens dynasty of the 1970s and the Edmonton Oilers dynasty of the 1980s.

They didn’t have as many stars as the Oilers and Canadiens, but they still had some very impressive players. You could argue Mike Bossy is the greatest goal scorer of all-time. At the very least, he’s unquestionably in the conversation. They also had Bryan Trottier, who put up impressive numbers while also shutting down virtually everyone he came across.

Then, of course, there’s Denis Potvin, who won three Norris Trophies and nearly won three more. Like all good dynasties, they had a reliable goaltender as their last line of defense in Billy Smith.

Ironically, the Islanders probably helped breed their successors, the Oilers. Edmonton was on the verge of greatness in 1983, but lost to the Isles in the Stanley Cup Final. The Oilers needed to learn what it took to win and they saw what it took to win with the Islanders and their completely unselfish, team-first approach to the game.

It didn’t take long for the Oilers to put this lesson to good use, as they beat the Islanders in 1984 and started their own dynasty. Though their dynasty was a bit short at just four years, they’re one of only two teams in the modern era to win four straight Stanley Cups.