More I think about it I want Ottawa pick Askarov even if we win the lotery. Yesterday was is first game with the farm team of the Ska and have a no goal game. After we can trade the San Jose pick ++ for move up for Lapierre or Perfetti
Or take the absolute studs in Laf or Byfield.
Teams win the cup with superstar players.
You can win cups with great/good non lottery goalies. Quick, Crawford, Binnington, Niemi, Ward, Thomas, Murray, Osgood, Boulin-Wall, Holtby
The only guys to win the cup as “franchise” goalies in the past 20 years are Roy, Hasek and Brodeur, (Fleury went 1st but I’d never consider him a franchise goalie), but franchise Centers, D and wingers are on nearly every cup winning team. Not that it has anything to do with my position, but Brodeur went the highest in the draft at 20th overall.
Tampa had Lecavieler (1st), St. Louis, and Richards.
Carolina had Staal (2nd) and Ward
Hawks had Kane (1st) Toews (3rd) Hossa, Keith
Wings had Lidstrom, Datsyuk, Zetterberg
Blues had O’Rielly, Tarasenko, Schenn (5th), Pietrangelo (5th)
Pens had Crosby (1st), Malkin (2nd), Staal (3rd), Kessel (5th) and Fleury (1st). Also won with Fleury as the backup.
Bruins had Chara, Bergeron, Seguin (rookie, 2nd).
Kings had Doughty (2nd), Kopitar, Richards, Carter, Gaborik
Roy had Sakic, Forsberg, Hejduk, Foote, Bourque.
Caps had Ovechkin (1st), Backstrom (4th), Kuznetsov, Carlson. Holtby wasn’t even their starter heading into the playoffs.
All cup winning teams are good, obviously. They all get good goaltending, obviously. The biggest thing they have in common is the star, franchise power in their players, while goaltending is just a plus it seems the can get wherever.
Pittsburgh won with both Fleury and Murray, they were interchangeable, Chicago won with Niemi and Crawford, they were interchangeable. Take out Kane/Toews and Malkin/Crosby, not so interchangeable.
It’s much, much, much easier to find cup caliber goaltending than it is to find cup caliber players.