NHL: Each franchise’s best team ever

We watch sports and the NHL in particular, for many reasons. Many want a distraction in the form of competition. Others love the way a team embraces the city they call home, and they feel like this sports team is an extension of that city. Some just want to be entertained for three hours on a random Tuesday night.

One thing all these fans have in common is they want to see greatness personified. Whether it’s on the ice, on the field, on the pitch, or wherever the sport is played, fans want to see superheroes in real life, and there is no greater place to see that than in sports.

Each franchise has great teams in its history. Which was the best for each city?

It’s so much better when some of the best teams in history are playing for the team you’re rooting for. Sometimes it’s not clear that you are watching the best team in the history of your franchise. It’s fun to compare the best teams of your generation against the best teams of the previous generations. Are the Crosby-Malkin Penguins better than the Lemieux-Jagr Penguins? Would Orr’s Bruins take out the team that won in 2011? What about the Blackhawks? Which of the three Stanley Cup winners from their most recent dynasty is the best team?

This is where we come in. We will take a look at the best team from each franchise. Some were Stanley Cup winners. Others were the best team in a dynasty. Then, there are the teams that have never won a Cup, and that is where it gets complicated. The Vegas Golden Knights are not on the list because of lack of service time in the NHL, but let’s take a look at the other 30 teams in the NHL and find out which team was the greatest in franchise history.

NHL: Each franchise’s best team ever: 2006-07 Anaheim Ducks

While we love the 2002-03 Anaheim Ducks that watched Jean-Sebastien Giguere and Paul Kariya carry them to the Final, there’s no Ducks team like the 2007 Stanley Cup Champion. It all started with defense, as Chris Pronger and Scott Niedermayer led one of the most underrated defensive units of this generation. They are two Hall of Famers in very different parts of their careers who came together to lead their team to a championship. Can you even name the goalie of the 2006-07 Ducks? (It’s still Giguere, but there were three playoff wins from Ilya Bryzgalov.) Pronger came over in an offseason trade, and it was one of the biggest game-changing trades of the decade.

The Ducks also had a prolific offense, led by franchise legend Teemu Selanne. He put up 94 points that season. There were these two young players ready to break out behind Selanne. The two leading playoff scorers were a 21-year-old Ryan Getzlaf and a 21-year-old Corey Perry (Selanne and Pronger were tied for second to be fair).

This was the first year after the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim changed their name to the “Ducks”, showing a change to move away from its Disney roots. It didn’t take long to shed those roots, as the team broke the record for most games to earn a point to start a season (16 games). They finished the season tied with the Nashville Predators with 110 points, but they lost the number-one seed on percentage points.

It didn’t matter. They dominated the postseason. They lost two games in the first two series combined, and they beat the big, bad Detroit Red Wings in six games in the Western Conference Finals. In the SCF, it only took them five games to take out the Ottawa Senators. This was by far the best team that season, and it’s not even close when considering other great Ducks teams who are the best in franchise history.

NHL: Each franchise’s best team ever: 2011-12 Phoenix Coyotes

Since moving from Winnipeg, the Arizona Coyotes have been mostly a laughing stock in the NHL. From a lack of attendance because they don’t actually play in Phoenix, to a lot of fans paying way too much attention to town halls, to this season when the GM literally walked out on a team that was about to lose a bevy of draft picks because, ironically, they didn’t follow the rules on how to scout draft picks. This team has been a mess since 1997, but that doesn’t mean the franchise is without its high notes.

While there aren’t any Stanley Cup Championships, there are some fun runs. Unfortunately, a lot of those runs ended early. The Coyotes have one official playoff series win (the play-in round from last year doesn’t count). It was also the only year the Coyotes won the Pacific Division.

The run the Coyotes made to the 2012 Western Conference Finals was incredibly fun, especially since it finished with a collision course with the equally fun Los Angeles Kings (who were the eighth seed at the time).

There was just a lot of grit and grind on this team. Ray Whitney was the top scorer in the regular season. Shane Doan and Radim Vrbata were important pieces of the offense. It was just a very strange team, but they won. Oliver Ekman-Larsson joined the squad as a 20-year-old, and Keith Yandle made a formidable duo on the blue line.

This team was all about the goalie. Mike Smith took over for Ilya Bryzgalov after he was traded to the Flyers. Smith ended up being much, much better. Let’s skip right ahead to the playoffs. Smith put up a .944 save percentage in 16 games. In those 16 games, he had 14 quality starts. He had a 13.3 goals-saved above average. Again, that was in 16 games. Did you know that Mike Smith is the all-time leader in playoff save percentage? It’s because of this incredible run.

NHL: Each franchise’s best team ever: 1969-70 Boston Bruins

There are so many intriguing options to rank the best team in the history of the Boston Bruins, but there is one that stands above the rest. The 1970 Stanley Cup Champions might be one of the best teams in hockey history.

This conversation has to start with possibly the greatest goal in the history of the NHL. Bobby Orr scores an overtime Stanley Cup winner against the St. Louis Blues to end the series. Orr was probably the biggest star in the sport at the time, and he scored one of the most incredible goals anyone has ever seen. It was the reason sports are so popular. That moment right there would go on posters for years to come.

Orr had a great regular season, putting up 120 points. It was the first time a defenseman put up more than 100 points in one season. The Bruins were still getting major contributions from stars like Johnny Bucyk and Phil Esposito.

Gerry Cheevers was very good in net, putting up a .919 save percentage over the regular season. It was his best season statistically up until this point in his career. In the playoffs, he was a monster. He won 12 of the 13 games he started, and the Bruins just destroyed all of their opponents. He put up a .925 save percentage in the playoffs.

This team was basically unbeatable this season. There were some really good teams in Boston who went into the playoffs as heavy favorites, but there was no team like this team in 1970. There are no other Bruins teams that could touch them.

NHL: Each franchise’s best team ever: 2006-07 Buffalo Sabres

The Buffalo Sabres went to the Stanley Cup Final once in its history. Dominik Hasek carried the team to Game 6 against the Dallas Stars in 1999. It was the furthest any team has ever been in this franchise’s history. They lost on the most controversial call in the history of the sport. It still wasn’t the best Sabres team of all time.

That distinction goes to the 2006-07 Sabres. They were coming off a really good season where they went all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals. They lost in Game 7 to the eventual Stanley Cup Champion Carolina Hurricanes. They clearly didn’t appreciate what happened, because the team won 10-straight games to start the season. The Sabres eventually put up 113 points and won the President’s Trophy as the best team in the NHL.

Daniel Briere, Jason Pominville, Thomas Vanek, and Chris Drury was an incredible four-headed monster at forward. They all scored more than 65 points (as did really impressive two-way center Derek Roy). Briere led the team with 95 points. Vanek put up 43 goals, and the team looked like they were a legitimate Cup favorite once again.

Ryan Miller was taking over the net, and he was ready to show he was one of the game’s best. He put up a .911 save percentage in the regular season, and then he took it up a notch in the playoffs. His .922 save percentage showed he was looking to single-handedly take the team to new heights. Unfortunately, they faced a team of destiny in the Ottawa Senators. They lost three of the last four games in the series by one goal, which included two overtime goals. Daniel Alfredsson scored nine minutes into overtime, ending the hopes of the best Sabres team in history.

NHL: Each franchise’s best team ever: 1988-89 Calgary Flames

The Calgary Flames were the Vegas Golden Knights before it was cool. They were immediately good after joining the NHL in the 1980-81 season. They made the playoffs in their first nine seasons, and they even made the Stanley Cup Final twice. In the second, they won it all.

The 1988-89 Calgary Flames don’t really get a lot of recognition today. This team came between the dynasty Oilers and the dynasty Penguins. They didn’t have a Wayne Gretzky or a Mario Lemieux, but this team did have five future Hall of Famers on it. They also had a 20-year-old Theo Fleury, and Mike Vernon was entering his prime. Al MacInnis was becoming one of the best defensemen in the league, while Joe Mullen put up a 50-goal, 110-point season.

This was clearly an example of everything hitting at the perfect time and it leads to a championship. It’s actually pretty rare in sports. Most teams have a lot of “what ifs” when it comes to the best core of a team. The Flames actually cashed in on their best core.

MacInnis was insane in the playoffs. He scored the third-most points by a defenseman in a single postseason ever (it was second at the time, but Brian Leetch eventually passed him). He had 31 points in 22 games. He put up five powerplay goals in the postseason, and he scored four goals in the Stanley Cup Final against the Montreal Canadiens. The all-Canada Final brought out the best in the Flames, who were trying to establish themselves against an Original Six team.

NHL: Each franchise’s best team ever: 2005-06 Carolina Hurricanes

This one is a little obvious. While there have been some really good Carolina Hurricanes teams in recent memory, the 2006 Championship team was the best since the team moved from Hartford, Connecticut. This was the first season after the 2004-05 lockout that took an entire season from NHL fans. There was a lot of resistance to watching hockey, so a good story needed to bring people back.

For that, let’s throw it to Cam Ward. The Canes went into the playoffs with Martin Gerber as the starter, but it didn’t take long for Ward to take over and put up one of the most impressive runs from a netminder. He had a .920 save percentage in the 2006 postseason. (Fun fact: Ward only went to the postseason one other time in his career. That seemed really unlikely and important to share.)

The Canes had other stars on the roster. Current head coach Rod Brind Amour was then a star player on the first line. Eric Staal broke 100 points. Justin Williams began his legacy as “Mr. Game 7” by scoring an empty-net goal to seal the win in the Stanley Cup Final. A 37-year-old Mark Recchi brought a veteran presence and won the second of his eventual three Stanley Cups (all with different franchises).

This was a really good team that seemed to be the outlier of the Hurricanes franchise. The Canes made the Final in 2002, missed the playoffs the next two seasons, came back from the lockout and won the Stanley Cup Final, missed the playoffs for two more seasons, then they made another Eastern Conference Finals. If this team made the playoffs, they seemed to succeed. However, there was no success like there was in 2006 when the Stanley Cup came to Carolina.

NHL: Each franchise’s best team ever: 2012-13 Chicago Blackhawks

The Chicago Blackhawks are an Original Six team, but they dealt with years of ineptitude and inability to compete with the top teams in the league. From 1998 to 2008, the Blackhawks won one playoff game in their only playoff appearance. The team was bad. But, being bad for that long usually comes with some perks. That came in the form of drafting Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Corey Crawford, Brent Seabrook, Duncan Keith, Dustin Byfuglien, and others who would eventually become the foundation of a Stanley Cup dynasty.

The Blackhawks had already won their first Stanley Cup in decades when the 2012-13 season finally started. After the Los Angeles Kings raised the Cup in 2012, the NHL went into a months-long lockout. They finally agreed to a collective bargaining agreement, and it was clear who the best team in the league was. The Blackhawks were ready to continue their legacy.

This team started the season a ridiculous 21-0-3. There was no touching the Blackhawks from here. The team was too good, the best players were right in their prime, and everything was going right this season. They didn’t need to travel as much because of the 48-game season. Everything was going really fast, which dragged a lot of the older, more experienced teams down.

The Blackhawks faced a tough road in the postseason. After taking down the Minnesota Wild, who were sporting Zach Parise and Ryan Suter on brand new free agent deals, they went to Game 7 with the Detroit Red Wings in the second round. After winning that deciding game in overtime, it was time to face the defending Stanley Cup champs. The Kings were ready for a fight, but the Hawks were too good. They took them out in five games, once again ending the series after regulation.

The Blackhawks would face the big, bad Bruins in the Stanley Cup Final. It was a series of two powerhouses. Obviously, the Blackhawks ended up becoming the bigger powerhouse. They won the series and lifted their second Stanley Cup in four years and it would eventually become three in six. This dynasty was great, but the 2013 lockout-shortened season brought out the best in the Blackhawks.

NHL: Each franchise’s best team ever: 2000-01 Colorado Avalanche

The peak of the Colorado Avalanche was nothing short of glorious. It looks like today’s version of the Avalanche could be on the way to the peaks of the mid-90s and early 2000s team, but it will be really hard to hit those heights. That Avs team was so good for so long, and they won two Stanley Cups, one literally the year after relocating from Quebec.

That wasn’t the Avs’ best team. It might have been the best storyline with Patrick Roy demanding a trade and becoming the final piece to a championship puzzle, but the team in 2000-01 was just better. Led by an offensive powerhouse that included Joe Sakic and Peter Forsberg at the top. Chris Drury, Milan Hejduk, and Alex Tanguay were all young secondary scorers. They had 118 points that season thanks to a franchise-record +77 goal differential. It was the second time in franchise history the team won the President’s Trophy.

The defense was the story here. Obviously, there was Rob Blake and Adam Foote, but the key to the team was the addition of Ray Bourque, who was looking to add a Stanley Cup to his Hall of Fame resumé. It was the story of the season, and everyone was watching the Avalanche in the playoffs.

The Avs ended up playing the defending Stanley Cup Champion New Jersey Devils. It was Patrick Roy versus Martin Brodeur to see who was really the greatest of all time (sorry Hasek). It went to a Game 7, and the Avalanche won in a pretty convincing fashion. This team was one of the best, and honestly, it would be hard to find many teams in history who could take them out in a seven-game series.

NHL: Each franchise’s best team ever: 2018-19 Columbus Blue Jackets

This… uh… was a difficult decision. The Columbus Blue Jackets have a pretty terrible history that just recently looks a lot better. They have the sixth-worst all-time winning percentage, and if the Devils and Hurricanes didn’t count their time in other cities they’d probably fall even further. They were the franchise that wasted Rick Nash and went 17 seasons without winning a playoff round. It was miserable for a team trying to establish themselves in a non-traditional sports market.

However, during the 2018-19 NHL Trade Deadline, the Blue Jackets were the talk of the town. They had multiple expiring contracts, including superstars Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky. It seemed pretty clear they would be sellers at the deadline since they were still fighting for the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference. Instead, GM Jarmo Kekäläinen went all in and then some. He traded for Matt Duchene, Ryan Dzingel, Adam McQuaid, and Keith Kinkaid.

It was a curious move since it seemed like the Blue Jackets were heading for slaughter against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Tampa was by far the best team that season, and it seemed like they were going to roll through the postseason. That’s not what happened at all.

The Blue Jackets swept the Lightning. They faced a record-setting team full of superstars, and they swept them. It made the push for the postseason worth it. They lost in the next round to the Boston Bruins, but making this push and adding an extra 10 games to the season meant everything to this franchise. They lost literally everyone in the offseason, but it was worth it for that one moment of glory.

NHL: Each franchise’s best team ever: 2001-02 Detroit Red Wings

Just in the past 30 years, there are so many Detroit Red Wings teams to choose from. They were great for literally decades. From 1995 to 2013, the Red Wings made the playoffs every single season. Not only did they make the playoffs, but they won a series in every year except for three. That is insane dominance. Some of the best teams of all time have lost in the first round. Detroit was not letting it happen at an insane clip.

So, why the 2001-02 Red Wings? They are one of four Red Wings’ teams to win the Stanley Cup. They had one of the best rosters of all time. This was one of six President’s Trophies they won in this stretch.

Just look at who was on this team. The top eight scorers are future Hall of Famers. They had to put Igor Larionov on the third line. Nicklas Lindstrom was at the peak of his powers, which is a scary thought because he’s probably the best defenseman of all time. Chris Chelios was still contributing despite being 40 years old. Sergei Federov, Brendan Shanahan, Brett Hull, and Steve Yzerman were all on this team and helping destroy opponents on a nightly basis. They added Luc Robitaille in the offseason, who provided an extra scoring punch.

Then, there was the Dominator in net. Dominik Hasek joined the Red Wings after nine seasons in Buffalo. His peak was the best we’ve ever seen from a goalie. Now, he’s on one of the best teams in the league. He lived up to his name in the playoffs, putting up a .920 save percentage.

There were some great teams in the history of Detroit, but this combination of veterans and young, hungry players is hard to beat.

NHL: Each franchise’s best team ever: 1984-85 Edmonton Oilers

This is pretty simple. Which Wayne Gretzky-era Edmonton Oilers team is the best? Alright, maybe that’s not so simple, but at least we figured out the best era in Oilers history. This era had Gretzky, Mark Messier, Grant Fuhr, Jari Kurri, Glenn Anderson, and Paul Coffey. To say this team was stacked is a massive understatement.

The 1984-85 Edmonton Oilers are widely considered the best NHL team of all time. This isn’t just the best Oilers team, this is the best team ever. Gretzky scored 208 points, one of the four times he broke the 200-point plateau. He ended up winning his sixth-straight Hart Trophy. The team as a whole scored over 400 goals. Coffey put up 121 points from the blue line. This team still had Kevin Lowe on the roster. Kurri had a career-high 71 goals. How can you stop this team?

Well, the simple answer is nobody could. The Oilers lost 20 games out of 70 that season. In the playoffs, they won the first nine games, sweeping the first two series and sending a message to the Black Hawks with an 11-2 series-opening win. After losing their first two games of the postseason, they scored 18 goals in the final two games of the Western Conference Finals on the way to the Stanley Cup Final.

After losing the first game to the Philadelphia Flyers, the Oilers won four straight to lift yet another Stanley Cup Championship. There’s not much more to say. This team was insanely good, as were some of the other Oilers teams. The difference here is the Oilers knew exactly how this all worked. They needed to bide their time, and the game would eventually come to them. It almost always led to a win.

NHL: Each franchise’s best team ever: 1995-96 Florida Panthers

Imagine a team willingly using rats to represent their franchise. That’s exactly what the 1995-96 Florida Panthers did, and they rode the momentum from that to the Stanley Cup Final. It was the franchise’s third season as part of the NHL. They were trying to establish a fanbase in South Florida. This was a great start.

This wasn’t exactly a star-studded roster. Scott Mellanby was the team’s leading scorer. Scott Niedermayer’s brother Rob was the second-leading scorer.

It was a very strange season. The Panthers were completely terrible down the stretch. They finished the season losing 14 of their final 23 games. The team sputtered into the playoffs, so it seemed like they were a dead team walking. Then, something clicked.

John Vanbiesbrouck played out of his mind in the playoffs. He put up a .932 save percentage in 22 games. More unlikely heroes took over in the postseason. Dave Lowry was the team’s leading scorer in the postseason with 17 points. Ray Sheppard and Stu Barnes were right behind him with 16 points. Who are these players? Most wouldn’t know without Googling them.

However, this was a true “sum of all parts” team. They were better because they were together. The run was incredibly fun, the fanbase was really into it, and the team looked like they could be a team of destiny. They ended up running into the Colorado Avalanche in the Final, and that was too big a test to pass, but this team was incredibly impressive up until that point.

NHL: Each franchise’s best team ever: 2013-14 Los Angeles Kings

The Los Angeles Kings finally broke the “ice” when they won the Stanley Cup in 2012. It was one of the most incredible runs to the Final of all time, but when comparing that team to the 2014 squad, there’s no comparison. The stars were better in 2014. Tyler Toffoli and Tanner Pearson added youth to what was quickly becoming a veteran-laden team. Anze Kopitar was becoming a true star, and Jeff Carter had a playoff for the record books.

This team had tenacity. Jonathan Quick got hurt in the middle of the season, and Martin Jones and Ben Scrivens kept them alive in the playoff race. Jones and Scrivens both put up a .931 save percentage with the Kings for the regular season. Drew Doughty was squarely in his prime. He was in the conversation for best defenseman in the game.

There were contributors everywhere on this team. That was very important in the playoffs. The San Jose Sharks took a 3-0 series lead in the first round, but the Kings mounted a comeback and became the first team to win four straight after going down 3-0. They faced two more Game 7s before reaching the Stanley Cup Final. Thank goodness they had “Mr. Game 7” Justin Williams on the team, who had points in each Game 7. He even scored a goal in Game 7 against the Chicago Blackhawks in the Western Conference Final, and he had the primary assist on the overtime goal that sent them to the Final.

The Kings ended up vanquishing the New York Rangers, winning their second Stanley Cup Championship in three seasons.

NHL: Each franchise’s best team ever: 2020-21 Minnesota Wild

This one will be controversial, but there has never been a Minnesota Wild team like the 2021 version of the squad. Since joining the league 20 seasons ago, there have been some really good Wild teams. They’ve had great players like Marian Gaborik, Mikko Koivu, and Niklas Backstrom, but there’s been no collection of talent like the team has now.

The Wild have gotten to the conference finals once in their existence, and they were swept by the 2003 Might Ducks of Anaheim. This season, they are trying to show they are a true contender. Kirill Kaprizov has had one of the most impressive rookie seasons in a long time. His impact on the game every night can’t be overstated. As of this writing, he has 45 points in 51 games and he might be the most impactful addition any team made this offseason.

Kevin Fiala is putting together one of the best seasons of his career. Mats Zuccarello is turning into a really good signing for the Wild. Even when stars like Zach Parise and Ryan Suter fall off, they have plenty of players to pick them up when it matters most.

Then, there’s the work from the goaltenders. Kaapo Kahkonen and Cam Talbot have been a monster duo that keeps them in games every night. Kahkonen’s numbers have fallen off slightly, but Talbot is having a resurgent year with a .918 save percentage. The Wild have the seventh-best save percentage in the league this season.

Obviously, they haven’t played in the postseason, so if they get swept in the first round just ignore this section. But there is something special about this Wild team that nobody seems to be talking about. There could be some magic come playoff time.

NHL: Each franchise’s best team ever: 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens

Decisions, decisions. The Montreal Canadiens have more Stanley Cup-winning teams than any franchise in history. It is not particularly close. While the team hasn’t won the fabled trophy since 1993, they won it a total of 24 times. A lot of those teams were really good, but the true test of the best team in Canadiens history is choosing between the 1950s dynasty team and the 1970s dynasty team.

The 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens played an 80-game season. They won 60 of those games. They only outright lost eight games. If you include the playoffs, this team only lost 10 times. Over an entire season, a team losing 10 games total is just plain crazy.

This was a team coached by the legendary Scotty Bowman. His legacy speaks for himself. He’s probably the greatest hockey coach of all time, and he brought this specific team to new heights. They were the defending champs, so there’s also the possibility of taking a foot off the gas, but the Canadiens came out and destroyed this league.

The players were all on fire all season. Their goal differential was +216. That’s not a typo. Read that again. Their goal differential was +216. They beat teams by more goals than three teams had total goals in the 2018-19 season (the last 82-game season on record). This is a record that will NEVER be broken. The combination of offense and defense is unmatched.

Guy Lafleur, Jacques Lemaire, Steve Schutt, and a young Bob Gainey were just some of the offensive weapons on this team. Ken Dryden was in the middle of his prime and put together one of his best seasons. The team just dominated in the playoffs and swept the Stanley Cup Finals. It would be fun to see this team in a tournament of the best teams of all time.

NHL: Each franchise’s best team ever: 2017-18 Nashville Predators

From the most decorated franchise in the history of the league to one that seems like they just miss when it comes to playoff success. The Nashville Predators made the playoffs 13 times. They made it past the second round once. This isn’t even that season.

The 2017-18 Nashville Predators were the top team in the Western Conference one year after going all the way to the Stanley Cup Final. It was the first time in franchise history the team won the President’s Trophy. They made a huge move in the offseason to add Kyle Turris to really give themselves an offense to be scared of. While that didn’t necessarily happen, with how good this defense and goaltending were, Turris along with a really good Filip Forsberg season was all this team needed.

P.K. Subban had his best season away from Montreal, putting himself in the top three for Norris Trophy consideration. He put up 59 points in a full 82-game season. That included 16 goals, which was a career-high for him. Roman Josi was quickly becoming one of the best defensemen in the league. Mattias Ekholm and Ryan Ellis rounded out an awesome blue line, probably the best in the league.

Pekka Rinne and Juuse Saros were statistically the best tandem in the league. It definitely helped that they had the defense in front of them, but if there was something that got through, they very often stopped it. Rinne led the league in goals saved above average and both goalies were in the top ten in the league in save percentage.

The playoffs did not go well. Rinne quietly fell apart, and the defense could not save them. The offense sputtered in the biggest moment. However, this shouldn’t completely take away from what the team did during the regular season.

NHL: Each franchise’s best team ever: 1999-00 New Jersey Devils

This New Jersey Devils team at the turn of the millennium was one of the most dominant teams in recent history. The 1999-00 Devils led the NHL in goals against and led the Eastern Conference in goals scored. It comes down to that defense and that goalie. A defensive unit of Scott Stevens, a prime Scott Niedermayer, a veteran Ken Daneyko, and one of the more underrated defensemen in history in Brian Rafalski. Who was getting by this defense? Well, let’s say they did. The man who owns every NHL goalie record of note was behind them. Martin Brodeur had a decent regular season, but his .927 save percentage in the playoffs showed he could turn it on when it mattered most.

The offense never really got it’s just due in New Jersey. This team could score with anyone in the league this season. The A-line of Jason Arnott, Patrik Elias, and Petr Sykora put up 82 goals in the regular season and 24 goals in the playoff. Every game, one of these players was ending up on the scoresheet.

The Devils made quite a few additions to this team to get them back in title contention. They signed Claude Lemieux in the offseason, the Conn Smythe winner when the Devils last won the Cup. They also added Scott Gomez as a rookie in this offense. He ended up winning the Calder Trophy. Then, during the season, Lou Lamoriello pulled off a major move to add scoring forward Alexander Mogilny.

This all led to the Devils firing Robbie Ftorek and making Larry Robinson the head coach just two weeks before the postseason. The players didn’t seem to like Ftorek’s style, and Lamoriello wanted to make a move before it was too late. It ended up being the right move, as Robinson got the team motivated enough to win it all.

This season ended in insane fashion. After coming back from 3-1 down in the Eastern Conference Finals and beating rival Philadelphia, the Devils faced the defending champs in the Stanley Cup Final. The Dallas Stars were looking like the favorites to start a dynasty in the Lone Star state, but the Devils had other plans. In Game 6, Elias passed the puck to Arnott in overtime, and the Devils won the Cup on a walk-off goal.

NHL: Each franchise’s best team ever: 1981-82 New York Islanders

This is another example of having to pick a team from a dynasty. The early 80s New York Islanders dominated the league, and they won four-straight Stanley Cups. The 1981-82 version of the Islanders were dominant from start to finish, and the league probably should have given them the Cup in September.

This Isles team put up a franchise record 118 points in the standings. Mike Bossy and Bryan Trottier put up great seasons, scoring 147 and 129 points respectively. Bossy was one of the best in the league, and he was off the hook this year. He was unstoppable before unstoppable took a turn in the mid to late 80s. Bossy was able to score from any point on the ice, and he had Trottier to put the puck in the net when he wanted some assists.

Hall of Famer Billy Smith was in net. His numbers don’t look great because he played in this era, but he was one of the game’s best. He won the Vezina Trophy with 32.6 goals saved above average.

This team really put things into high gear in the second half of the season. After January 20th, the Islanders put up a 29-3-4 record. That includes a 15-game winning streak, which was an NHL record until the league added overtime in 1983. This isn’t even counting the playoffs, where the Islanders won 15 of 19 games. That includes winning the last nine games of the season.

In the Stanley Cup Final, the Islanders ruined the dreams of the Vancouver Canucks in Game 1. Mike Bossy tied the game late in the third period, and the Islanders won in overtime. They went on to sweep the series, and it marked the best Islanders team of all time.

NHL: Each franchise’s best team ever: 1993-94 New York Rangers

The New York Rangers are an Original Six team that’s missing a lot of the championship accolades of the other Original Six teams. However, that 1994 Championship team was special. It might be one of the greatest storylines in the history of hockey. The Rangers were looking to win their first Stanley Cup since 1940. Mark Messier was guaranteeing wins in the Eastern Conference Finals in what was quickly becoming the Hudson River Rivalry. Mike Richter was putting his name among New York sports legends.

Hall of Fame defenseman Sergei Zubov made his name in Dallas, but he actually led the 1993-94 Rangers in points. He was phenomenal on the blueline. Combining him with Brian Leetch made one of the best offensive defensemen duos of this era. Leetch went nuclear in the playoffs, putting up 34 points to lead the Rangers.

Adam Graves had the best season of his career, putting up a then-team record 52 goals on the season. He never really hit those highs, but for this very special season, Graves was one of the best goal scorers in the league.

Going back to Richter, his .921 save percentage in the playoffs helped carry the Rangers to that elusive Stanley Cup. The Rangers needed him to be the best in the league, and he became that in the postseason.

This Rangers team was what happens when literally everything went right. Messier had magic on his stick every time he touched the puck. They had veterans like Craig MacTavish and Glenn Anderson who could help the other stars focus on scoring while they kept the team on track. Everything went right for the Rangers this season, and it seems like nothing has gone right for them since.

NHL: Each franchise’s best team ever: 2002-03 Ottawa Senators

The 2003 Ottawa Senators could have very well won it all if just a few things went their way. They lost to the eventual Stanley Cup Champion New Jersey Devils in the Eastern Conference Finals. In Game 7, they dominated play in the third period and tied the game. Then, with just two minutes left in the series, Jeff Friesen deked out Patrick Lalime, and the dreams were dashed when he put the puck in the net.

Let’s rewind on what made this team great. This team had a 24-year-old Marian Hossa, a 30-year-old Daniel Alfredsson, a 21-year-old Martin Havlat, a 25-year-old Zdeno Chara, a 22-year-old Mike Fisher, and a 19-year-old Jason Spezza. This team was built to be a contender for decades, and this was the first team to really put together a great season.

Hossa was on his way to stardom with a 45-goal season. It was the first time he would put himself among the ranks of the best in the league in what will likely become a Hall of Fame career. The Sens had a star to build around after the mess that was the Alexei Yashin situation.

In the playoffs, the Senators stars didn’t necessarily have to do much as the defense was grinding teams down. Lalime was really good in the postseason. He put up a .924 save percentage. He helped this team win the President’s Trophy in a really good Eastern Conference.

The Senators never really lived up to the lofty expectations this team had, but at this moment, anything seemed possible at the capitol. Unfortunately, this ended up being the best the Senators could do. The lockout really threw a wrench in their aspirations, and the fact the team was stuck in bankruptcy didn’t help things either. For this one season, it seemed like the Sens were going to win it all.

NHL: Each franchise’s best team ever: 1974-75 Philadelphia Flyers

Like their rivals on Broadway, the Philadelphia Flyers have had more disappointing moments over the past three decades than they had happy moments. Flyers fans have had some really good cores. However, it’s been since those amazing teams of the 1970s that the Flyers have a team that was worthy of winning the Stanley Cup every single season. In fact, they went to the Stanley Cup Final four times during the decade, and they won it all twice.

The second of the Cup-winning teams was easily the best. They didn’t have a ton of Hall of Famers like other great teams in NHL history, but they had Bobby Clarke getting right into his prime, Bernie Parent was the greatest goalie of the generation, and they were able to get scoring from just about everywhere. Three players put up more than 30 goals, and Reggie Leach put up 45.

The Flyers won its first President’s Trophy in 1975, going into the playoffs as the favorite to win it all. They did just that, although it was a bizarre postseason. After getting a first-round bye, they swept the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Eastern Conference semi-finals. Then, after taking a 3-0 lead against the New York Islanders in the conference finals, the Isles forced a Game 7. The Flyers still won despite almost blowing it. Then, in the Stanley Cup Final, they had to play the famous “Fog Game” after the air conditioning broke in Buffalo. They ended up losing that game, but they won the series 4-2.

This was the last Stanley Cup team to have every single player born in Canada. The City of Brotherly Love finally had a championship on the ice, and a back-to-back one at that.

NHL: Each franchise’s best team ever: 1991-92 Pittsburgh Penguins

This is the Ali-Frazier of the hockey team argument. The Pittsburgh Penguins had two peaks that were basically untouchable. They were both led by two offensive stars who are considered some of the best players in the history of the league. This obviously chose the Jaromir Jagr-Mario Lemieux era Penguins over the Stanley Cup teams led by Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby.

The team was coming off a Stanley Cup victory, and they were looking to build an unstoppable dynasty as we’ve seen from other franchises in the 70s and 80s.

The talent didn’t stop at Jagr and Lemieux. Hall of Famer Joe Mullen put up an 87-point season. Hall of Fame defenseman Larry Murphy put up a point per game. Hall of Famer Ron Francis played center behind Lemieux. Hall of Famer Bryan Trottier was looking to add to his impressive resumé during the twilight of his career. Paul Coffey was even on this team, although he got traded when things got a little hairy for the franchise.

This Penguins team also added Hall of Fame head coach Scotty Bowman after their previous head coach Bob Johnson was diagnosed with brain cancer.

The Penguins were just trying to get through the regular season. That much is clear. They finished third in the division despite leading the league in goals. There was a point where some were worried they might miss the playoffs. Lemieux was dealing with a back injury. Then, the Penguins traded Mark Recchi for a package that got them Rick Tocchet and other “grit” players.

This turned the season around, and the Penguins rolled the rest of the way. Because of the issues during the regular season, the Penguins would play Game 1 on the road in most series. They came back from 3-1 down to the Capitals to win the first series. They took down the division-leading Rangers to make it to the Eastern Conference Finals. Then, they swept the Bruins before taking on the Chicago Blackhawks in the Cup Final. They were no match, as the Penguins swept the Blackhawks and lifted the Cup again.

The Penguins have had probably a dozen better regular-season teams than the 1991-92 Penguins, but when this team was at the peak of its powers, it was literally untouchable.

NHL: Each franchise’s best team ever: 2008-09 San Jose Sharks

Oh, the San Jose Sharks. The biggest “what if” team of this century. The Sharks made the huge move to get Joe Thornton from the Boston Bruins during the 2005-06 season, and the team was a contender ever since. They seemed to do very well in the regular season, but when it came to the playoffs, the Sharks kept failing. Unfortunately, the 2008-09 Sharks were no different.

They won the President’s Trophy for the only time in franchise history. Thornton was producing at an incredibly high level, scoring 86 points in a full 82-game season. Patrick Marleau and Devin Setoguchi both put up 30+-goal seasons. Joe Pavelski was quickly becoming a star for the franchise as a second-line center.

This team also had a good, veteran core of defensemen. Dan Boyle was at the tail end of his prime. Rob Blake was still very productive at 39 years old. Christian Ehrhoff was putting together a really good resumé. Marc Eduoard-Vlasic was a 21 year old who had the makings of a really good shutdown defenseman.

It just… fell apart in the postseason. It took like no time at all, either. Most of these lists take postseason play into account, and the Sharks only lasted six games against the bottom seed in the conference. So, maybe the Stanley Cup Final team of 2016 deserves to be the team here. Or maybe one of the other teams who were also really good in this era but at least won a series. This team just felt like top to bottom they were the most talented team.

NHL: Each franchise’s best team ever: 2018-19 St. Louis Blues

We all know the story of worst to first that was the 2018-19 St. Louis Blues. They fired the head coach, replaced the starting goalie, and they made one of the most magical runs that have ever happened in the sport. In the middle of January, the Blues had the least points in the league. By the time the summer hit, they were Stanley Cup Champions.

This wasn’t a bad roster. The Blues traded for Ryan O’Reilly in the offseason, getting one of the best two-way centers in the game today. They also signed Tyler Bozak, David Perron, and Pat Maroon in free agency. They were putting together a really good roster around Vladimir Tarasenko and Alex Pietrangelo. There were really good players all over the roster, which is why head coach Mike Yeo was fired when the team underperformed.

Craig Berube took over on the bench, and he would hold onto that interim role even after winning the Stanley Cup. Jordan Binnington took over the net when Jake Allen just couldn’t really hang on as the main starter. Chad Johnson was signed in the offseason, but he was not good at all. In comes Binnington, and it’s like new life went into this team.

O’Reilly was really good in the playoffs and eventually won the Conn Smythe Trophy. Jaden Schwartz played way above his head and scored 12 goals in 23 postseason games. Maroon scored miraculous goals, including a double-overtime winner in Game 7 of the second round against the Dallas Stars. They went down twice to the Boston Bruins in the Final, but they ended up winning in all in seven games.

With Gloria playing throughout the Enterprise Center, the Blues had finally won its first Stanley Cup Championship. There have been so many decent Blues teams, but the run this team went on two years ago is unlike anything we’ve seen from this franchise before or since.

NHL: Each franchise’s best team ever: 2019-20 Tampa Bay Lightning

Like the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Tampa Bay Lightning have two very specific eras of greatness. There was the team led by Vinny Lecavalier, Martin St. Louis, and a group of grizzled veterans in 2004. Then, there is the team still playing today led by Steven Stamkos, Victor Hedman, Andrei Vasilevskiy, and Brayden Point. Oh, and they also have Nikita Kucherov, one of the best pure scorers in the NHL today. And they have one of the best bottom sixes led by Blake Coleman and Anthony Cirello.

From a pure talent standpoint, the Tampa Bay Lightning might have the best roster of the past 20 years. Every line can score, every defensive line can play both sides of the ice with efficiency, and they have the best goalie in the sport today.

The 2019-20 Lightning felt special. They were coming off possibly the biggest playoff disappointment of all time. After winning an NHL record 62 games (tied with the 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings), they were swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Columbus Blue Jackets. They are the only team ever to win the President’s Trophy but win exactly zero games in the postseason.

So, the Lightning changed things up. They signed Stanley Cup Champion Pat Maroon in the offseason. They sent J.T. Miller to the Vancouver Canucks. They traded two first-round picks in the stacked 2020 NHL Draft to get Coleman and Barclay Goodrow. They knew what this team needed, and they spent to get it.

Obviously, this was the pandemic shortened season that led to a tournament style in a bubble north of the border. The team was without Steven Stamkos for most of the postseason, but he returned to score a crucial goal in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Dallas Stars. This Lightning roster had been in the Stanley Cup conversation for years, but they finally put the right pieces around the stars to win it all.

NHL: Each franchise’s best team ever: 1950-51 Toronto Maple Leafs

The 1950-51 Toronto Maple Leafs lost the first game of the season, but they didn’t lose another game until almost a month later. They went on runs in the regular season without having any true stars on the roster. The Maple Leafs of today look nothing like the teams that were lifting Cups back in the day.

Max Kennedy and Max Bentley both scored over 60 points that season. Tod Sloan broke 30 goals, the only player on the team to do so. This team was the second-highest scoring team in the NHL while also stopping the puck better than anyone else. Their 138 goals against stat were the best in the six-team league.

This team had a goalie split in net all the way until the end. Turk Broda was great in the playoffs, putting up a 1.10 GAA. Al Rollins wasn’t bad either, with a 1.71 GAA. They were the reason this Maple Leafs team got to the heights they got to. They could stop the other team with ease, which is exactly what they did in the playoffs. They won both series 4-1 on their way to the championship.

It was an incredibly exciting Stanley Cup Final. They faced the rival Montreal Canadiens after they upset the Detroit Red Wings in the semi-final round. Every single game went into overtime. It showed the tenacity of this Maple Leafs team that they were able to win four of the five overtime games, but this sounds like it was an incredible series to watch.

NHL: Each franchise’s best team ever: 2010-11 Vancouver Canucks

There were some pretty good Vancouver Canucks teams over the years. They went to the Stanley Cup Final three different times. Once they lost to the dynasty New York Islanders and another time they lost to the team of destiny that was the 1994 New York Rangers. In 2011, the Canucks were just happy to get away from the Big Apple when they faced the Boston Bruins. They brought their best team in franchise history to the biggest series in Western Canada in a long time. Canada’s pride was on the line since the Cup hadn’t been north of the border since 1993.

The 2010-11 Canucks went into the postseason as the President’s Trophy winner. Their 117 points were six wins better than any other team in the Western Conference. This was pure domination by the Canucks.

The Sedin Twins were two of the best players in the league. They were also incredibly in sync since they were, you know, twins. No worries about the chemistry between stars there. Ryan Kesler was quickly becoming one of the best two-way centers in hockey. He ended up winning the Selke Trophy that season, and it was very much deserved.

Where the Canucks really made other teams pay was in net. The goalie duo of Roberto Luongo and Cory Schneider was one of the best of this generation. Luongo ended up third in Vezina Trophy voting this season and he won the Jennings Trophy. Both these guys put up a save percentage north of .928 in the regular season.

Obviously, things didn’t end well for this Canucks team. They lost in the Final to the Bruins, and we will ignore what happened after that. This was the best team that Vancouver has seen, and the way things are going it might stay that way for a while.

NHL: Each franchise’s best team ever: 2017-18 Washington Capitals

Let’s ignore how good the Washington Capitals were on the ice for just a second and let’s talk about the epic party that happened after they won the Stanley Cup Championship. 2018 was the year of Alexander Ovechkin, and he was everywhere after finally getting past prior playoff demons to win the entire thing. He seemed to do every interview and showed up at every event to party with the city. This was a biblical amount of partying that will go down in history.

Anyway, let’s talk about the hockey team.

Ovechkin was obviously the star, scoring 49 goals in the regular season. He also put up 15 goals in the postseason. He’s always been able to contribute in all fashions, but the team next to him hasn’t always lived up to the expectations. That’s not what happened this season.

Nicklas Backstrom was very good again as Ovechkin’s center. Evgeni Kuznetsov was becoming a household name, and he led the team in playoff scoring. John Carlson had become one of the best offensive defensemen in the NHL, and he was competent in his own end. T.J. Oshie went from American Olympic hero to actual NHL hero, helping this team when it mattered most.

Then, there was Devante Smith-Pelly. Every Stanley Cup winner needs that random player that steps up in the playoffs. Smith-Pelly was that player for the Capitals. He scored seven goals, which included the game-tying goal in the clinching game of the Stanley Cup Final.

The Capitals had amazing teams over the years, but this team clearly had a magic about them that helped them get over the hump. Not only did they win the Stanley Cup, but they beat the Penguins on their way to do it. They were the team that always seemed to be in their way, as the Crosby-Ovechkin argument raged for years. Now, Alex the Great finally got one over on Sid the Kid.

NHL: Each franchise’s best team ever: 2017-18 Winnipeg Jets

Just by the nature of this exercise, it is rare to have two teams from the same year back to back. That’s what happened here, mostly because the Winnipeg Jets have a short history after moving from Atlanta.

This was a Jets team that got the best out of Blake Wheeler, who was quickly becoming one of the most underrated players in the league. Patrik Laine looked like a young superstar by putting up a 44-goal season. Mark Scheifele, Nikolaj Ehlers, and Kyle Connor were incredibly secondary scorers. This team’s offense was scary good.

Then, there was the man in net. Connor Hellebuyck was quickly becoming one of the best netminders in hockey, and this was his coming-out party. He put up a .924 save percentage, this while playing 67 games and putting up 44 wins, both tied for the league lead. The defense in front of him was awesome. Dustin Byfuglien, Jacob Trouba, Josh Morrissey, and Tyler Myers put together one of the best groups of blueliners in the NHL.

The home crowd was insane, especially when the team called for a whiteout. It had a Happy Valley feel to it, and the crowds were just as loud. This was quickly becoming one of the best home-ice advantages in the league, even if the arena has famously bad internet access.

In the playoffs, the Jets were a very hard out. They took out the Minnesota Wild in five games while winning a crucial Game 7 with the Nashville Predators in the second round. The Vegas Golden Knights were a team of destiny, and that was too big a burden to bear in the Western Conference Finals, but this had the makings of a really good situation.