Is there any evidence that teams have to be built a specific way to win a cup?

[PlamsUnlimited]

I think that possession time and shot suppression are important as seen lately

 

[Ignatius]

Chicago didn't have elite goaltending in 09-10.

But they were absolutely stacked otherwise and that made up for the shortcomings in goaltending.

Perhaps instead of saying you need elite forwards, defense, & goaltending we could say you just need 2 out of the 3 which 2010 Blackhawks had. Meatloaf said 2 out of 3 ain't bad.

 

[rhinoshawarma]

multiple top end draft picks.

Pitt had Sid, Geno, Fleury, Staal (all top 5)

Kings had Doughty, Kopitar, Carter (drafted 2nd-13th)

Chicago had Toews, Kane, Hossa (drafted 1-11th)

This is why Toronto scares me. They're really good, and very young. A strong 1D can really do wonders

 

[Blainer114*]

At least one elite C and one elite D. For goalies he doesn't necessarily need to be elite but at least hot.

 

[Aceboogie]

Pitt won 2 cups with Letang as the best D. Kind of goes against the "have to a have a #1" theory

NJD, NYR and Vancouver also made it to the finals with only a top pairing D

 

[MessierII]

Pitt won 2 cups with Letang as the best D. Kind of goes against the "have to a have a #1" theory

NJD, NYR and Vancouver also made it to the finals with only a top pairing D

Letang wasn't even on their top pair their first cup. Gonchar was the best D on the 09 cup.

 

[Video Coach]

Scotty Bowman (9 Stanley Cups) believes there are 7 players you need to win:

1. #1 all star center
2. #2 all star center
3. Top power forward
4. Specialist/Utility Player/Agitator/Shutdown center
5. All star offensive d-man
6. Top shutdown d-man
7. All star goalie

Most winners have these things. With the salary cap, it's possible that 1-2 of those guys need to be on ELCs or under-value contracts.

 

[Haanz]

Fun fact: Since the NHL began tracking each player’s ice time during the 1998-99 season, the only defenseman under the age of 25 to have won a Stanley Cup as one of the top two ATOI (average time on ice) defensemen on his team in the playoffs was Drew Doughty. All other top two defensemen were at least 25 when they hoisted the Cup. And Doughty had already played in 316 NHL regular season games prior to winning his first Cup, so he was hardly green at that point, being one of those rare talents capable of logging big minutes and playing an insanely mature game since day 1.

So, history is not on your side if you're banking on young defensemen to lead you to a Cup.

 

[x Tame Impala]

I think the more interesting question/question with a less obvious answer is can Toronto and/or Edmonton win the cup without acquiring a legitimate #1 defenseman?

I think the answer is no. Unless they do get one they'll spend the next few years improving, even making the playoffs and looking like a dangerous team in the regular season, but ultimately failing. It seems to be an absolute necessity in today's NHL

 

[RaskY]

I see it a lot on here. People speak about having a big 1C or you have to have a 1D to win. Is there any proof of this?

Well, the last 10 Stanley Cup Winners featured these guys as their #1 Centers...

Crosby
Toews
Kopitar
Toews
Kopitar
Bergeron
Toews
Crosby
Datsyuk
McDonald

And their #1 D-man were

Letang
Keith
Doughty
Keith
Doughty
Chara
Keith
Gonchar
Lidstrom
Pronger

So I'd say based on the teams that have won in the last 10 years, that a #1C and #1D are essential. They're the two positions that have the ability to impact the game the most. An elite defense-man means you have a guy who can be on the ice for half the game and go against the other team's top line. And having an elite center gives you a guy who can take draws, drive the offense and impact the game defensively, and can also match up with the other team's top lines.

They're also probably the two hardest positions to fill. Some teams have a #1C (Islanders, Flyers, Stars, Oilers) but no #1D, and vice-versa there are teams with #1D but no elite center (Wild, Habs, Coyotes)

 

[Dogewow]

Seems like a cup winning team needs two out of three of:

-High end #1 Center
-High end #1 Defenseman
-High end #1 Goaltender

If a team doesn't have all three, then the empty position needs to be filled by at least a capable individual that elevates his level of play during the playoffs. Doesn't have to be elite, but has to help put his team in a position to win and make the saves/plays that need to be made.

Pretty much every cup winning team has good depth, and players playing at, or above playoff expectations. (Ex: 4th lines and bottom pairings can't be irrelevant)

Seems like each team has their own specific personality, (super skilled, tough and intimidating, etc) but seem to have the basic makeup of what has already been posted. Never bought the idea that you needed to "wear down a team physically" or have some specific element to your game, other than having the roster requirements already listed and having a good head coach.

 

[Ice Garden]

You need to Corsi better than your opponent.

 

[SladeWilson23]

Building a SC team is not an exact science at all.

 

[billybudd]

Pitt won 2 cups with Letang as the best D. Kind of goes against the "have to a have a #1" theory

NJD, NYR and Vancouver also made it to the finals with only a top pairing D

Letang finished 4th in Norris voting last season and the Penguins' best D in 2009 (Gonchar, not Letang) was coming off a season in which he also finished 4th in Norris voting.

 

[Dustin]

Thanks for the responses everyone. It seems here we have some consensus and some disagreements as well.

 

[Ignatius]

Well, the last 10 Stanley Cup Winners featured these guys as their #1 Centers...

Crosby
Toews
Kopitar
Toews
Kopitar
Bergeron
Toews
Crosby
Datsyuk
McDonald

FWIW, Zetterberg was unequivocally Detroit's #1C in 2008. Guy literally played every role that could be asked of a center to near perfection in those playoffs, especially in the SCF.

 

[ChiefWiggum]

Going in you need a number 1 D. Two lines that can score and a shutdown center.

In the playoffs, you need a goalie who catches fire and can carry a team when things get bleak. (see Quick, Ward)

Nowadays, the heavy team has been replaced with speed. The bottom six, or thopse who arent necessarily relied on for scoring, must have at least average speed with high end preferably. These players force the turnovers on the forechecker and can backcheck against the other team's top players to shut them down. (see Pittsburgh Penguins 2015 playoffs).