best core to never to win a cup?

[Rarename91]

What core of a nhl team was the best never to win a cup?
the mid 90s blues are a start for example,

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[Big Phil]

Just to think of a few, nothing against the Blues and the Pronger/MacInnis/Turgeon team with Hull in the mix for a while and the likes of an older Fuhr and Gretzky.

I think some better cores would be the Rangers of the early to mid 1970s: Ratelle, Gilbert, Hadfield (GAG line), Park, Giacomin, Tkaczuk

Late 1980s/early 1990s Bruins: Bourque, Neely, Janney, Moog/Lemelin

Mid to late 1970s Sabres: Perreault, Martin, Robert, Gare, Ramsay

All of these teams made the Cup final at least once and was always in the mix to do so again. They lost to legendary teams who won more than one Cup in their era too. Nothing against the Blues of the late 1990s and early 2000s but I don't even think they are above the Sens of the same era and barely any different than the Leafs or Flyers of that era too.

 

[Legend123]

The Halaked core

 

[Thedogo]

I probably would say the Hawks of the 80s and early 90s. Like a lot of good teams in that era they could have had a least one Stanley Cup, but ran into the Wayne Gretzky Oilers.

 

[streitz]

Late 80's- Early 90's Bruins.

Mid-Late 80's Flyers(I consider the 80 team that lost more a last Hurrah of the 70's core).

Late 70's Bruins, basing this one off reputation, too young to have seen this.

Mid 80's Jets(lol)

Early 90's Canucks, people forget they won the division the 2 years before 94, The leafs team around that time were fun too but I don't know if I'd call them a 'core' per say. More like Clarke, Todd Gill, few others and a bunch of vets they brought in who played great together.

Keenan Hawks(so like 89 till 92, possibly including 93-96 when the core was broken up). They were too thin in the 80's, was more like Savard and Larmer against the world.

 

[Brodeur]

For my time as a fan, the 1998-2008 Senators come to mind. Out of those nine seasons, they had four division championships, six 100+ point seasons. One Stanley Cup appearance, another ECF appearance.

For that run:
Alfredsson (1998-2008)
Hossa (1998-2004), traded for Heatley (2005-2008)
Redden (1998-2008)
Chara (2001-2006)
Bonk (1998-2004)
Havlat (2000-2006)
Fisher (1999-2008)
Yashin (1998-2001), traded for Chara+Spezza (2002-2008)
Phillips (1998-2008)
Vermette (2003-2008)
Volchenkov (2002-2008)
Neil (2001-2008)

Maybe never had the brand name goaltending or a top line center for the 2002-04 playoff runs. I was surprised that the Devils were able to get past them in 2003.

 

[Michael Farkas]

Maybe not the best, but how about the early-mid 80's North Stars...?

Bobby Smith/Ciccarelli/Broten/Bellows
Hartsburg/Curt Giles
Meloche/Beaupre

 

[The Panther]

I probably would say the Hawks of the 80s and early 90s. Like a lot of good teams in that era they could have had a least one Stanley Cup, but ran into the Wayne Gretzky Oilers.

They also lost to the non-Gretzky Oilers in 1990. But they finally beat the post-Dynasty Oilers in 1992, only to then run into the Mario-Pens in the Finals. Bad timing. But still, things might have been different if they hadn't squandered that huge lead in the third period of game one.

What about San Jose of the c.2005 to 2014 era?

 

[Big Phil]

They also lost to the non-Gretzky Oilers in 1990. But they finally beat the post-Dynasty Oilers in 1992, only to then run into the Mario-Pens in the Finals. Bad timing. But still, things might have been different if they hadn't squandered that huge lead in the third period of game one.

What about San Jose of the c.2005 to 2014 era?

San Jose perhaps is the best post lockout team to never win with their core. A pretty good one too. Thornton, Marleau, Nabokov, Boyle............

Do the Caps of around 2010 count? Or don't they since Ovechkin and Backstrom won a Cup? That team had Ovie, Backstrom, Semin and Green. Not bad.

 

[Big Phil]

Late 70's Bruins, basing this one off reputation, too young to have seen this.

You might be right on this one, in fact, there is a good argument this is the best core ever to never win the Cup, it holds water.

HHOFers are Cheevers, Ratelle, Park and Bucyk even if they were at different parts of their careers and two of them won a Cup earlier with a different team. Middleton, O'Reilly, McNab and others were part of this team too. Gilles Gilbert was a fine goalie. Cherry a good coach. But most notably they faced some tough competition. Were beat in 1976 by the two-time defending Flyers. Then lost three years in a row to the Habs, twice in the final and 1979 may as well have been the final. Every year they got closer and closer to the Habs. Even in 1980 they were still a great team only to be knocked off by the Islanders.

11 players with 20 goals or more in 1978. Now that is balanced.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

not to be that guy, but i can think of a post-lockout team with three hart winners/runners up (their goalie and 2/3 of their scoring champ top line), a selke winner, the best defensive winger in the league, and never less than four top pair d.

not the best ever but for their era i’d bet on that team over the sharks or capitals.

 

[MVP of West Hollywd]

I like the Ottawa pick with the best line in the league, some defenseman stars, etc.

 

[Terry Yake]

early-mid 2000s sens

 

[GMR]

If Tampa Bay doesn't win a Cup in the next several years, they will be joining the Senators and Sharks as modern teams with great cores that couldn't win a Cup. Heck, if Tampa doesn't win it this year, they'll be in the running as best regular season team not to win the Stanley Cup.

 

[Tarantula]

Early 70's Rangers and late 70's Bruins are good choices. Too bad for Park and Rattelle, those two deserved at least one cup.

 

[The don godfather]

Rangers 2014 they were stacked. Mcdounagh was a horse still is. Should have kept him.

 

[Hoser]

[...]if Tampa doesn't win it this year, they'll be in the running as best regular season team not to win the Stanley Cup.

Nah, the '95-'96 Red Wings clearly own that distinction.

 

[GMR]

Nah, the '95-'96 Red Wings clearly own that distinction.

They're one of the contenders for sure. I could also argue the 1930 Bruins or 1971 Bruins, 1993 Penguins, and a few others.

 

[Tarantula]

They're one of the contenders for sure. I could also argue the 1930 Bruins or 1971 Bruins, 1993 Penguins, and a few others.

The core of the 71 Bruins won a cup the year before and after that year, and the core of the Penguins also won, don't believe that is what the OP was asking.

 

[streitz]

The core of the 71 Bruins won a cup the year before and after that year, and the core of the Penguins also won, don't believe that is what the OP was asking.

I think he's referring to individual team, not core when quoting the guy who mentioned the best team to never win.

 

[sr edler]

Just to think of a few, nothing against the Blues and the Pronger/MacInnis/Turgeon team with Hull in the mix for a while and the likes of an older Fuhr and Gretzky.

It was a short lived core but the season Scott Stevens played with the Blues (90–91, the year Hull scored 86 goals in 78 games) they had Curtis Joseph/Scott Stevens/Jeff Brown/Adam Oates/Brett Hull/Rod Brind'Amour/Geoff Courtnall. That's decent.

They did not only lose Stevens though (for Shanahan) but also traded away Courtnall, Ronning and Big Mo mid season for a garbage return and lost all their scoring depth.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

late 2000s, early 2010s Canucks

2006-07 to 2012-13, they twice won the Presidents Trophy, and had years of 105, 88, 100, 103, 117, 111, 59 (lock out year, 101pt pace)

but lost in the 1st round 2x, 2nd round 3x and in the Finals

and also the Thornton led Sharks have to be at/near the top of the list

 

[Big Phil]

not to be that guy, but i can think of a post-lockout team with three hart winners/runners up (their goalie and 2/3 of their scoring champ top line), a selke winner, the best defensive winger in the league, and never less than four top pair d.

not the best ever but for their era i’d bet on that team over the sharks or capitals.

The Canucks?

 

[Big Phil]

It was a short lived core but the season Scott Stevens played with the Blues (90–91, the year Hull scored 86 goals in 78 games) they had Curtis Joseph/Scott Stevens/Jeff Brown/Adam Oates/Brett Hull/Rod Brind'Amour/Geoff Courtnall. That's decent.

They did not only lose Stevens though (for Shanahan) but also traded away Courtnall, Ronning and Big Mo mid season for a garbage return and lost all their scoring depth.

Those Blues teams of that era were horribly managed. Even the next year they traded Oates for Janney. Not good.

 

[tony d]

The early 90's Bruins teams are my answer here.