One thing that changes from year to year (or maybe every 3-5 years) is the "formula" to win a Stanley Cup, which I think informs us that there is no formula. It used to be that size won, that defense won, that depth won, and then it was first line centers. Posters here often say that you can't win a Cup with a goalie as your best player on the basis that it has not happened before. The truth is, there is no unique formula, whatever you can do to ice a great team.
We, on the Habs forum, obsess over the need for a top centre due to the fact that the Habs have lacked one for a long time. But during that period the Habs have had Markov, Sourray, Hamrlik, and Subban. Now they have ... the aging Weber. If the Habs find themselves with some great centers in a few years, but playing with 37 year-old Weber on the top pair, we'll be reading no shortage of posts that "great teams need a great no. 1 dman". Though this period, the Habs have mostly had good goaltending, good defense, and good depth. It's why we talk about those less. But every ingredient is important.
