The National Hockey League might be the fastest game on ice, but do you know what moves faster than the game? The opening and closing of an organization’s Stanley Cup window. It can take years to build the right roster to achieve Cup immortality, but winning one year does not guarantee future success. Sure, there are teams like the Oilers of the 1980’s that won 4 straight Cups, and there are teams like the Rangers, who went 54 years between championships.
Let’s take a look at 5 teams that have opened their window for a Stanley Cup, and 5 whose window has been shut.
SHUT – Chicago Blackhawks
The Blackhawks are in a complete rebuild. When you are coming off having the number 1 pick in the last draft, it’s clear that you’re not anywhere close to competing for a championship. Now is the time to let top pick Connor Bedard earn valuable minutes and playing time. If he’s as good as advertised, he will most likely help lead Chicago back to the promised land. But that time is still a few years away. Let the kid mature, draft and develop a few more key pieces, and then we will see the Blackhawks window begin to crack open. However, it’s still going to be a few dark years in the “Windy City”.
OPEN – Las Vegas Golden Knights
This was an easy selection to make, after all, they are the defending Stanley Cup champions. Considering that this season they are off to one of the better starts in the league, there is no reason to think that the Knights will not be there defending their Cup come playoff time. Their roster is stacked with young and veteran players that should also keep them competitive for many years to come. The window for the Stanley Cup is wide open, and it won’t be long until there is another championship parade down the Vegas strip.
SHUT – Washington Capitals
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NHL stories via Google! Follow Us
Alexander Ovechkin is one of the greatest goal scorers of his time, and despite being 38 years old, is still one of the best players today. As long as he’s on the roster, the Capitals will remain competitive. But that’s the problem. Washington has one of the oldest rosters in the league and is in need of an overhaul. Ovechkin’s presence is hindering their ability to compete for a Cup. The Caps clearly want to keep fans in the seat as “the Great Eight” makes his assault on Wayne Gretzky’s goal record, so they will simply patch their roster problems rather than fix them. Thus, Washington’s window will remain closed.
OPEN – Boston Bruins
Boston last won the Stanley Cup in the 2010-11 season and have made the playoffs in the last 7 years, including a loss in the Stanley Cup finals in 2018-19. Their window has been and remains open. Captain Brad Marchand is 35 years old but still productive, and is surrounded by the younger David Pastrnak and Matt Poitras, the 19 year old rookie off to a fast start in 2023-24. Throw in not one, but two, solid goaltenders, and you’ve got the makings of a team that is a threat come playoff time. The Bruins are primed to make several runs at the Cup over the next few seasons.
SHUT – Calgary Flames
Calgary has only made the playoffs in 5 of the last 14 seasons (not including the present one). Not only is their window shut, but it almost seems like it has been nailed shut. Simply put, the Flames are a team without star power. They are a team with a few nice players that will score in the 20-25 goal range per season, but no star to build around. The team hoped Nazem Kadri would be the one, but so far, that has not been the case. Obviously, the Flames could benefit by improving their front office, player development department, and the product on the ice. Until then, the window will remain closed.
OPEN – New Jersey Devils
The Devils have something in Jack Hughes that every team would love to have: one of the best young players in the game today that might just blossom into one of the future faces of the NHL. Hughes led New Jersey to the second round of last year’s playoffs, and in doing so, they cracked open their window. This year, they are poised to completely throw open the window. Having had success in the playoffs will help the young Devils as they begin their journey for Lord Stanley’s Cup. They are stacked with the talent necessary to make several runs for a Cup.
SHUT – Pittsburgh Penguins
The Penguins have had their run, capturing 3 Stanley Cups during the Sidney Crosby Era, most recently winning in 2016 and 2017. But time marches on; the Pens’ core players, Crosby (36), Malkin (37), and Letang (36) are all aging, and the supporting cast isn’t much younger. In fact, Pittsburgh is the oldest team in the league, with an average age of 30.8 years old. They are the only team in the NHL to be above 30 years. That does not bode well for a team looking to make a deep run in the playoffs, especially over several years. The Penguins will be a competitive and fun team to watch, but their days of competing for the Cup are over.
OPEN – New York Rangers
Take one of the best goalies in the league, add in a young, solid group of defensemen, plus a nice mix of young and veteran talent up front, and you have the New York Rangers. With Mika Zibanejad and Artemi Panarin leading the way up front, Norris Trophy winning Adam Fox on D, and Vezina winning Igor Shesterkin in goal, “the Blueshirts” are stacked with talent. New York made a deep run in the playoffs two years ago, and today, they are primed for more. It’s been 29 years since the Rangers last won it all, but the window for the Rangers to win the Stanley Cup is wide open.
SHUT – San Jose Sharks
From the 1997-98 season through the 2018-19 season, San Jose made the playoffs in 19 out of 21 seasons. That was a remarkable run. Although they didn’t win, they did appear in the 2015-16 Stanley Cup Finals. Almost as impressive as their run of success is their fall from grace over the last 4 years. The Sharks are lost at sea. Hopefully for the fans of San Jose, they won’t have to endure 19 years of frustration before their window reopens. But for now, the Sharks just do not seem close to regaining their former glory.
OPEN – Colorado Avalanche
The Stanley Cup window for the Avalanche actually opened up a few years ago, but it still remains wide open. Colorado has made the playoffs in 6 straight seasons and won the Cup two years ago in 2021-22. They are not done. Led by all-world and Norris Trophy winning defenseman Cale Makar, star forwards Nathan MacKinnon and Miko Rantanen, goalie Alexander Georgiev, and a young, talented supporting cast, the Avs are not just a front runner for a championship, they are capable of winning multiple Cups. The rest of the NHL should watch out for the Avalanche, because they are just starting to roll.
