Here’s what the rest of the NHL can learn from the final four teams remaining in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The NHL is a copycat league. Teams tend to copy the blueprint of Stanley Cup Champions. It took the Pittsburgh Penguins winning back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017 before teams realized how important it is to have three lines that can score. This year’s Stanley Cup Playoffs are no different.
It’s not a coincidence the Dallas Stars, Vegas Golden Knights, Tampa Bay Lightning, and New York Islanders are in the Conference Finals. They’re darn good teams and they’re teams the rest of the NHL could learn from.
Here’s a lesson from each conference finalist that teams around the league should be taking notes on.
Dallas Stars: Don’t Be Afraid To Trust Young Players
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The Dallas Stars are one win away from the Stanley Cup Final after entering the Edmonton bubble looking awful. A huge reason for this has been the stellar play of Anton Khudobin, but the Stars’ most impressive player has undoubtedly been defenseman Miro Heiskanen.
Heiskanen, who is barely old enough to legally drink alcohol in the United States, is probably going to win the Conn Smythe if the Stars win the Stanley Cup. In 20 games, the 21-year-old Finnish defenseman has a team-high 17 assists and 22 points. He already has the second-most points of any defenseman in a single postseason since the 1995-96 season.
Moreover, Heiskanen’s leading the team in average ice time per game, playing over 25 minutes per game. The Stars haven’t been afraid to throw him into every situation. Heiskanen has rewarded Dallas for their faith in him. When you have young players like Heiskanen, sometimes it’s best to simply trust them and give them as much playing time as possible.
New York Islanders: Two Is Better Than One
One of the hugest changes the NHL has seen in the past few seasons is how goalies are used. Teams are starting to realize the days of regularly having goalies play around 70 games a season are over. Goalies get fatigued and tired. They get injured. Keeping them fresh is a smart move.
The New York Islanders are a terrific example of this. During the regular season, they didn’t have a true number one goalie. Semyon Varlamov started 39 games (about 57.3% of their games) and Thomas Greiss started 29 (roughly 42.7%). This allowed Varlamov to stay fresh while also keeping Greiss prepared in case he had to carry the load.
They’ve needed both goalies to advance so far. Varlamov has been the primary starter during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but remember, Greiss picked up some huge wins against the Philadelphia Flyers in the second round, including a shutout win in Game 7.
Yes, you need a number one goalie in the playoffs. But in today’s NHL, you need two goalies who you can rely on. Basically, you need two starting goalies. Credit the Islanders for being ahead of the rest of the league.
Tampa Bay Lightning: Don’t Make Moves For The Sake Of Making Moves
In April of 2019, the Tampa Bay Lightning became the first President’s Trophy winner to get swept in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They had every reason to shake up the core. Every reason to make some huge changes. General Manager Julien Brisebois bet on his team and kept his great team together for the most part.
Sure, he had to trade J.T. Miller for salary cap reasons. But Brisebois did a heck of a job by getting back a first-round pick for him. Everyone knew the Lightning had to make a move, and Brisebois still got a very good return for Miller.
Instead of blowing things up, Brisebois tinkered with his roster. He added Pat Maroon and Kevin Shattenkirk to one-year deals. The Lightning also added Curtis McElhinney, finally providing Andrei Vasilevskiy with a backup capable of giving him a break.
At the trade deadline, again, Brisebois didn’t go for the sexy additions. Rather, he went with two guys who have given the Lightning a dangerously efficient third forward line. Brisebois had to part with both of his first-round picks to get Blake Coleman and Barclay Goodrow, but those two players have been crucial in helping them get to this point. Oh, and both are signed for next season as well.
Sometimes, it’s hard not to make those panic moves. But Brisebois didn’t react emotionally. Rather, he made logical moves. He realized he had a great team. Instead of subtracting from his roster, he added to it. Teams need to believe in their cores. Add to those cores instead of subtracting from them.
Vegas Golden Knights: Depth Kills
The Vegas Golden Knights have outstanding forward depth. This allows them to attack teams in waves. To win in the postseason in today’s NHL, you need to apply pressure constantly. That’s precisely what the Golden Knights do. With most of their roster locked up for the foreseeable future, Vegas is going to keep on attacking teams for a while.