How many cups will Tampa win in the next 3 years?

[LetsGoBLUES91]

I actually went with 2. I think they learned a lot last year.

 

[SnuggaRUDE]

Nah. Odds are one thing, but if there was a team with the inside track, people would more accurately predict the cup winners before each season.

Inside track as an idiom means an advantage. It's nearly a mathematical certainty that some teams have an advantage; and that one team has a larger advantage than the others.

 

[bobbyking]

If they meet cbj,fla or a few others theyre roasted

 

[The Moose is Loose]

I think 1 is more likely than 0 tbh

 

[tony d]

I went with 1.

 

[Bleedred]

Slight correction to the OP, they did lose JT Miller, Anton Stralman, and Dan Girardi this offseason. None are star players but they're at least noteworthy losses.

Stralman isn't all that good anymore and Girardi was one of the worst defensemen in the NHL. Losing them (at least Girardi) will probably help much more than it will hurt.

Stralman was injured for almost half the season.

 

[DownIsTheNewUp]

As I Tampa fan, I'd say the odds are somewhere between 0 and 1, and probably closer to 0. Great team, but everything still has to align right to win.

 

[StoneHands]

Stralman isn't all that good anymore and Girardi was one of the worst defensemen in the NHL. Losing them (at least Girardi) will probably help much more than it will hurt.

Stralman was injured for almost half the season.

Stralman isn't what he was 2-3 years ago but he's still a solid 2nd pairing defenseman who takes on top lines. Girardi is obviously well past his prime but I would still take Stralman and Girardi over whoever makes the team in Witkowski, Ruuta, or Schenn and who knows if Shatty bounces back or continues to struggle. As I mentioned, they also lost JT Miller. I know he's not a great player but that's still a 50+ point player out of the lineup. I wasn't even saying that any of them were huge players for Tampa, just correcting the OP which said they didn't lose anyone.

 

[trick9]

Zero.

 

[VinikToWinIt]

Stralman isn't what he was 2-3 years ago but he's still a solid 2nd pairing defenseman who takes on top lines. Girardi is obviously well past his prime but I would still take Stralman and Girardi over whoever makes the team in Witkowski, Ruuta, or Schenn and who knows if Shatty bounces back or continues to struggle. As I mentioned, they also lost JT Miller. I know he's not a great player but that's still a 50+ point player out of the lineup. I wasn't even saying that any of them were huge players for Tampa, just correcting the OP which said they didn't lose anyone.

Stralman truly is not a solid 2nd pairing guy anymore, or at least he wasn't last season. I'm hoping he makes a full recovery from his injuries and recaptures his game, but it was brutal watching him at times last year. I really like the guy so I hope it was just his injuries weighing him down, but he was NOT a positive contributor last year.

As for Witkowski, Rutta, and Schenn - they will likely be used sparingly.

The top 6 will be Hedman, McDonagh, Cernak, Sergachev, Coburn, and Shattenkirk. 22 definitely comes with his warts but I wouldn't exactly consider him a massive downgrade from Girardi.

Miller is certainly a loss - he gets overlooked, but he's a good player. That being said, he was more of a luxury than a necessity for the Lightning and spent a lot of time on the 4th line.

 

[542365]

I'll say 1. It's REALLY hard to win 2 in a 3 year stretch, no matter how talented the team is. I think it will be this year. Last year's early exit might be a shock to the system to get their ass in gear come playoff time and will benefit them in the long run.

 

[BruinsFan37]

They have a good chance of winning at least one, but if I was betting money I'd go with zero (i.e. betting the field).