The Cleveland Cavaliers won an NBA championship, the Chicago Cubs celebrated a World Series win and then Donald Trump became the President of the United States. The combination of lengthy championship droughts ending and the most unlikely presidency in the history of mankind inspired us to think about which NHL teams are the closest to ending their Stanley Cup droughts. There are five teams with droughts that have extended at least four decades so we decided to rank them in order of which run of futility is most likely to end soonest. Here is a look at which NHL Stanley Cup drought is most likely to end first.
Washington Capitals – 41 Seasons
The Capitals have had some of the best teams in the NHL over the past few years but all of the Presidents trophies and Eastern Conference championship banners in the world haven’t been enough to satisfy a disgruntled fan base that can’t figure out why their team can’t win a championship. Barry Trotz has an unbelievable amount of talent at his disposal at all three levels and he is taking a more patient approach this season by limiting the ice time of his star players with the hope that they can be fresh come playoff time. Alex Ovechkin and company will need to prove they can compete at an elite level when it matters the most before anybody buys in to their Stanley Cup stock but right now Washington is in a better position to contend for a championship than any other team on this list.
St. Louis Blues – 48 Seasons
The Blues are another team that has experienced regular season success that hasn’t translated to playoff success over the past few years. Like the Capitals, St. Louis is primed to contend once again this year if they can perform at the highest possible level once the playoffs roll around. The Blues have some strong depth up front but the strength of their team remains a deep defense core that is one of the best in the NHL. St. Louis will need young netminder Jake Allen to step up and prove he can be an elite franchise goalie that can help them finally end their 48-season drought. The pieces are in place for the Blues to contend but everything must come together before their narrowing championship window closes.
Toronto Maple Leafs – 48 Seasons
None of the final three teams on this list is likely to make the playoffs this season but the Maple Leafs might be set up the best for future success. The addition of first-overall pick Auston Matthews coincided with an influx of young talent in Toronto’s system with William Nylander, Mitch Marner and Nikita Soshnikov making strong early impressions and providing hope for the future. The Maple Leafs have assembled an outstanding management team and coaching staff as well as some intriguing young talent that is already ready to perform at a high level in the NHL. Toronto hockey fans are ready to believe their team is on the right track towards something special and with their Stanley Cup drought approaching 50 years the hope is that they are close to becoming a contender once again.
Buffalo Sabres – 45 Seasons
The Sabres missed out on Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews but they still landed two franchise players in Jack Eichel and Alexander Nylander. Buffalo’s GM Tim Murray has done an excellent job assembling talent with the additions of Ryan O’Reilly, Evander Kane and Robin Lehner while developing young talents like Sam Reinhart and Rasmus Ristolainen. The Sabres still have some work to do before they can be considered a Stanley Cup contender but with an intriguing blend of veterans and young talent they could be closer to contending for a playoff spot then most experts realize at this point.
Vancouver Canucks – 45 Seasons
Unlike the Maple Leafs and Sabres, Vancouver is still at the beginning stages of a rebuild with the Sedin twins entering the twilight of their career while the Canucks attempt to get younger while remaining competitive in the process. Vancouver’s championship window closed shortly after they lost to the Boston Bruins in the 2011 Stanley Cup Final, which marked the second time in the last 20 years that the Canucks lost a seven-game final. Vancouver could have a long road ahead after falling short on a couple of occasions and as of right now they have to be considered the least likely of these franchises to contend for a Stanley Cup anytime soon.
