The dust, flames and violence have now settled in Vancouver. The riots after the Bruins beat the home town Canucks on Wednesday were disgusting to watch as a Canadian hockey fan and made me think about what would happen if a Canadian team wins the Cup. Everyone was calling the Canucks team "Canada's team" since they were the best chance Canada had at winning in a long time. The last time a Canadian team won the Cup was the Montreal Canadians in 1993. To put that into perspective, I wasn't born until 1994 so every NHL championship I have seen is American. It is very clear we are due, but which team will be the one to do it? With 7 Canadian teams now that Winnipeg has returned, and Vancouver continuing the streak to 18 years with their loss, I thought I should evaluate the chances each team has at breaking the curse. My countdown will start with the least likeliest to win and finish with who I think has the the best chance. If you agree or disagree with my thoughts, let me know in the comments below.
7. Ottawa Senators- The Sens received some good news from the play of rookie defenceman Erik Karelson but there wasn't much else that was positive for them last season. They signed big star dman Sergei Gonchar to an expensive contract which proved to be a big mistake as he played way under their expectations. They also have had goaltending blues but there was some promise from goalie Craig Anderson and rookie Robin Lenher. To add to that, they got some bad luck at the draft lottery and won't draft until the 6th overall which doesn't put their Cup chances in a good position.
6. Calgary Flames- The Flames really picked up steam at the end of last season but they just don't seem to have the depth to win a championship. Captain Jarome Iginla and goaltender Mikka Kipersoft aren't getting any younger and they don't seem to have any top prospects to take their place. Their defence also is a bit slower and doesn't provide enough offence to carry their team far in the playoffs. Young players like Curtis Glencross and Mark Giordano were bright patches in their season but they need more players like them if they want to be champions.
5. Toronto Maple Leafs- It has been a long time for Leafs fans since the last played a playoff game. They have had some unfortunate luck with management such as losing their 1st round picks to Boston when they signed Phill Kessel as a restricted free agent and by trading for Dion Phaneuf and J.S. Gigure who have both underperformed. They have many big name players but can't seem to get the role players and depth players that winning teams have. GM Brian Burke has recently been talking of trading their top prospect Nazem Kadri which would be a huge step back in their rebuilding. They wait for Leafs fans is still far from over.
4. Edmonton Oilers- The Oilers have finished in last place the last 2 season but unlike the Leafs, they are rebuilding properly. Top prospects Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle and Magnus Paajarvi all played very good in their rookie seasons and they have many young prospects on the way. And with this years 1st overall pick, what ever player the pick should be ready to make the team next season. Unfortunately, they are stick with big contracts on Nick Khabibulin and Sheldon Souray who slightly hinder their rebuilding process. They are on the right track and could soon find the success of teams like Pittsburgh and Chicago.
3. Winnipeg ____- Though we don't know this teams name yet, the roster that played in Atlanta last season showed a lot of potential. Captain Andrew Ladd and defenceman Dustin Byfuglien had very good season last year and both won Cups with Chicago making them good leaders for this young team. Goalie Ondrej Pavelic plays like an experienced veteran even though he has only a rookie. By acquiring Mark Stuart and Blake Wheeler at the end of last season, this team has begun building the foundation to make a playoff run. They could be ready in a couple years.
2. Vancouver Canucks- Your probably thinking why they aren't number 1 but they aren't on my list. The reason is their defence won't be the same after this summer as both Christain Ehrhoff and Kevin Bieksa will be looking for a raise which will be hard to fit under the cap. Also forwards Mikael Samuelson and Chris Higgins aren't getting any younger and won't be able to provide the offence they used to. The core of their team is steady with the Sedin twins, Ryan Kessler and Roberto Luongo locked up for the long haul. But if Luongo can't carry the load for the entire playoffs and Corey Schneider only has 1 year left on his contract. It will be interesting how the team holds up after coming so close this season.
1. Montreal Canadians- The Canadians were weakened by injured dmen this past season with Josh Gorges and Andrei Markov missing almost the entire season. I expect Markov to get signed by Montreal and to be a force next season after healing from a torn achilles injury. But if Cary Price plays as well as he did last season and hey can find lots of scoring from Mike Camelleri and Brian Gionta. Expect young players like Louis LeBlanc and Jake Tinordi to make the jump to the big leagues soon and last years star rookie P.K. Subban will only get better. The Canadians are getting deeper every season and are poised to make a playoff run any time now.
So there you have it. I think Montreal will become a competitive team in the next few seasons and finally end the streak of American teams winning the Stanley Cup. The 18 years have been a long wait for Canadian hockey fans so hopefully one of our teams can pull off a championship soon. Either way, win or lose, Canadians will continue to watch hockey no matter who wins but it would be nice to see the Cup return home to Canada. It will take a lot of work but the losing streak will end eventually. You can voice your thoughts about my list in the comments below and you can expect more posts this week about the NHL awards on Wednesday and the rookie draft on Friday and Saturday.
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