THW's Sunday Substack - The Last Six Stanley Cup Champions
A Sunday Season Preview Edition of The Hockey Writers Substack
Welcome to The Hockey Writers Sunday Edition
In today’s edition, we have a look back at the last SIX Stanley Cup Champions as the 2023-24 season inches closer.
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Vegas Golden Knights - 2023
In their sixth NHL season, the Vegas Golden Knights won a Stanley Cup, defeating the Florida Panthers in five games. The Golden Knights enter the 2023-24 season with plenty of returning stars - Mark Stone, Jonathan Marchessault, Jack Eichel, Alex Pietrangelo, and more - they are the Pacific Division favorites.
Colorado Avalanche - 2022
The Colorado Avalanche went 16-4 in their run to the Stanley Cup in 2022. They produced sweeps in the first round and Western Conference Final. Four players scored above 20 points in 20 games, including star defenseman Cale Makar, who had 29 points in 20 games. Despite the injury issues for star captain Gabriel Landeskog, the Avalanche should still be a major player in the Western Conference in 2023-24.
Tampa Bay Lightning - 2020 & 2021
After being elite and falling short in 2018-19, the Tampa Bay Lightning returned with a vengeance in both 2019-20 & 2020-21, winning back-to-back Cups. Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy truly cemented himself as one of the best goaltenders of his era with these two Cups, winning the Conn Smythe in 2021.
The Lighting’s window is still open in 2023-24 despite lingering injury issues for some of their top performers. It wouldn’t be a surprise if they found their way back to a Cup Final this season.
St. Louis Blues - 2019
After a head coach firing, a fight between teammates at practice, and a major goaltending change, the St. Louis Blues went on a magical run in 2018-19. The Blues beat the Boston Bruins in seven games, finishing the job in Boston. With the elite play of their heavy defense and Ryan O’Reilly, the Blues were an old-school Cup champion. There’s a good argument for the Blues window to be closed as the 2023-24 season approaches, but they still have a playoff-worthy roster.
Washington Capitals - 2018
After watching counterpart Sidney Crosby win three Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins, legendary goal scorer Alexander Ovechkin finally got his Cup in 2018 with a win over the Golden Knights. The Capitals, similarly to the Lightning, had years of quality teams with no championship to show for it. Goaltender Braden Holtby had a terrific run with a .922 save percentage (SV%).
The Capitals are another team with their window closing as the 2023-24 season approaches, but they still have Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Evgeny Kuznetsov, TJ Oshie, John Carlson, and other core pieces. They could be competitive, but they are unlikely to win the Cup in 2024.
We hope you enjoyed today’s THW Substack, and we hope you enjoy our experimenting with the THW Substack Sunday edition. Stay tuned for THW Daily as it continues tomorrow and beyond. Cheers!
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