Most talented teams to finish last

[Jasonthegreat]

Though there have been teams over the years with major talent that underachieved, which last-place team all-time has had the most talent of all?

Click to read more...

 

[The Pale King]

The 95-96 Senators had future stars like Alfredsson, Yashin, Demitra, and Straka up front and guys like Daigle, Quinn, Bonk, Duchesne and Modry who were all solid at different points in their careers. Went 6-5 to start the year but then had one of the ugliest extended stretches of hockey ever played by an NHL team. 2-35 over a 37 game stretch.

Finished with 41 points but they turned it around the next year, almost doubling that total to 77 and then they were a playoff staple for the next decade or so.

 

[reckoning]

All-time best would probably be the 58-59 Red Wings. 6 Hall of Famers, Gordie Howe and his linemates were great as always, but absolutely no offensive production from the rest of their forwards
http://www.hockey-reference.com/teams/DET/1959.html

Post-expansion I'd take the 86-87 Sabres. A team in transition after the dismissal of Bowman early in the season. A lot of former stars on their last legs, with some rookies starting out, but their core (Barrasso, Housley, Ramsey, Andreychuk, Foligno, Tucker) was solid (though not spectacular)
http://www.hockey-reference.com/teams/BUF/1987.html

 

[Canadiens1958]

1947-48 Chicago Blackhawks

1947-48 Chicago Blackhawks. Led the NHL in goals for , five future HHOFers yet finished last:

http://www.hockey-reference.com/leagues/NHL_1948.html

Simply could not play defensive hockey worth a lick plus had weak goaltending.

 

[pnep]

Hall of Fame players on last-place teams

 

[Brodeur]

In recent memory, my first thought was the 2006-07 Philadelphia Flyers. The previous year they put up 101 points and the following year they rebounded to 95 (made the playoffs and made the Conference Finals). But they slumped badly in 2006-07 and only had 56 points.

They lost Kim Johnsson to free agency and made the Handzus/Calder trade to free up time at center ice for younger versions of Carter/Richards. Desjardins retired and Mike Rathje's injuries would eventually push him to retirement as well. They were hurting on the back end, but they still had an in his prime Gagne, a useful Peter Forsberg, and not quite ready for prime time versions of Richards/Carter.

 

[Epsilon]

Hall of Fame players on last-place teams

Among post-expansion teams, the 1990 and 1991 Nordiques look to be among the best options:

-Sakic and Lafleur on both teams
-Stastny and Goulet on 1990, Sundin on 1991
-Owen Nolan on 1991
-big "what if" talent Bryan Fogarty on both

Some good role players/mid-level goaltenders: Curtis Leschyshyn, Ron Tugnutt, Stephane Fiset, Kip Miller

 

[The Pale King]

How were those Nords teams as bad as they were? I get that the future star players like Sakic and Sundin weren't in their prime yet, and guys like Lafleur and McKegney were just about done, but even considering that the 28 wins over two years is unprecedentedly awful for a non-expansion team. What happened?

They dressed a ton of players both seasons, but they also only had two coaches. And they went 3-26-3 against their own division in 89-90. 9-14-9 the next season. Almost respectable.

 

[The Panther]

The late 80s/early 90s' Nords were a bit like the Oilers circa 2010 to 2015 -- lots of soft, talented forwards, with incredibly weak defence and goaltending. The Nords were probably more extreme than the recent Oilers, though, with even worse defence and goaltending and much better soft-talent up front.

 

[Normand Lacombe]

1992-93 Rangers. From the President's Trophy to last in the Patrick Division. The Rangers had three Hall of Famers in Messier, Leetch and a declining Gartner. The Rangers featured youngsters Amonte, Weight, Graves, along with rookies Kovalev and Zubov. Mike Richter and Vanbiesbrouck split the goaltending duties. But, with Messier chafing under Roger Neilson's defensive style, injuries, especially to Leetch and James Patrick, and a sub-par year from Richter did the Rangers in.

 

[bobholly39]

Colorado Avalanche from 2016-2017 might be up there, especially in a 30 team league. I always felt they were much better than their record showed - and last year kinda proved that

 

[blogofmike]

If you exclude the Wanderers who were barely in the league, the 1918 Sens?

 

[VanIslander]

The 1926 Canadiens finished last with Howie Morenz, Aurel Joliat, Pit Lepine, Battleship Leduc, Silvio Mantha, Billy Coutu, Goldie Prodgers, Georges Vezina...

Though Bill Boucher was merely defensive at rw and insignificant nonscoring Wildor Larochelle played also at rw and goalie Herb Rheaume played most of the season, his only nhl season, middling in the minors thereafter.

The following season the Habs acquired the western great goalie George Hainsworth, rw scoring Art Gagne and some secondary parttime scoring by rw legend Carson Cooper, rectifying their g and rw woes and shooting up to 2nd overall in the nhl, behind only the dynasty Senators they would lose the Stanley Cup semifinal to.

 

[streitz]

How were those Nords teams as bad as they were? I get that the future star players like Sakic and Sundin weren't in their prime yet, and guys like Lafleur and McKegney were just about done, but even considering that the 28 wins over two years is unprecedentedly awful for a non-expansion team. What happened?

They dressed a ton of players both seasons, but they also only had two coaches. And they went 3-26-3 against their own division in 89-90. 9-14-9 the next season. Almost respectable.

It's not just that, look at the 90-91 Nords roster. Literally nothing outside of Sakic/Sundin and a washed up lafleur.


Also Owen Nolan had like 10 points his rookie year, brutal roster.

 

[streitz]

1992-93 Rangers. From the President's Trophy to last in the Patrick Division. The Rangers had three Hall of Famers in Messier, Leetch and a declining Gartner. The Rangers featured youngsters Amonte, Weight, Graves, along with rookies Kovalev and Zubov. Mike Richter and Vanbiesbrouck split the goaltending duties. But, with Messier chafing under Roger Neilson's defensive style, injuries, especially to Leetch and James Patrick, and a sub-par year from Richter did the Rangers in.

I think he meant last place in the league, not just the division. That year both the expansion sens and 2nd year sharks dropped 70 losses for example.





OT- I don't know but I'd pay alot of money to see a series between the 84-85 leafs and the 85-86 wings.

 

[The Panther]

OT- I don't know but I'd pay alot of money to see a series between the 84-85 leafs and the 85-86 wings.

It might at least be comical -- they averaged 387 goals against (in 80 games, which would be 396 today).

 

[Canadiens1958]

The 1926 Canadiens finished last with Howie Morenz, Aurel Joliat, Pit Lepine, Battleship Leduc, Silvio Mantha, Billy Coutu, Goldie Prodgers, Georges Vezina...

Though Bill Boucher was merely defensive at rw and insignificant nonscoring Wildor Larochelle played also at rw and goalie Herb Rheaume played most of the season, his only nhl season, middling in the minors thereafter.

The following season the Habs acquired the western great goalie George Hainsworth, rw scoring Art Gagne and some secondary parttime scoring by rw legend Carson Cooper, rectifying their g and rw woes and shooting up to 2nd overall in the nhl, behind only the dynasty Senators they would lose the Stanley Cup semifinal to.

Plus 1926-27 Hart Trophy winner Herb Gardiner came as a result of the western consolidation:

Herb Gardiner Stats | Hockey-Reference.com