Predict our next Cup-winning lineup

[TheOtherOne]

I thought this could be fun. You can make your own rules however you want, but here is my suggestion:
-You don't have to specify a year, it could be next year, 2025, 2045, whatever, doesn't matter.
-You can just list the roster or you can put them into the actual lineup like I will, it's up to you.
-Just use X's for players we haven't yet acquired. I mean you can fill in actual names if you want but obviously that'll be a lot harder. If I used an X but it turns out to be a player we DO have (i.e. Zadina) then I'll count that as incorrect.
I'm including players' current ages just for my personal reference.

The goal is just to get as close as possible to our next Cup winning lineup. If I remember whenever that happens I'll try to dig this thread up and shame everyone for being so wrong.

If a player who's currently 18 plays until 35, that takes us to 2036. Therefore, you can essentially predict a 28-year Cup drought if you want and still include a few 18 or 19 year olds on your roster. Our last long drought was 42 years. I'm not saying you have to use that, just giving you some material for thought.

Bertuzzi(24) - Larkin(23) - Mantha(25)
Rasmussen(20) - X - X
Athanasiou(25) - Veleno(19) - Hirose(23)
Smith(21) - X - X

Seider(18) - Hronek(21)
X - Cholowski(21)
Bowey(24) - X

X

Click to read more...

 

[Martinez]

X - X - X
X - X - X
X - X - X
X - X - X

X - X
X - X
X - X

X
X

 

[NickH8]

Bertuzzi - Larkin - Mantha
Athanasiou - Veleno - Zadina
Rasmussen - XXX - XXX (could swap with Zadina)
Svechnikov - Ehn - Grewe

Cholowski - Seider
XXX - Hronek
DeKeyser - XXX

Askarov
Larsson

Basically I see us signing/trading for a 3rd line center as Rasmussen ends up being better at the wing, a 2nd/3rd line rw depending on how Zadina develops, and top 4 and 3rd pair defenseman. Svechnikov, Ehn, and Grewe form a physical 4th line that can pitch in offensively. Guys like Berggren, Mastrosimone, Johansson, Tuomisto, etc. bust or are not ready or are traded.

 

[TheClap]

A bunch of dudes that aren't even a twinkle in their daddy's eyes yet.

 

[RedHawkDown]

Zadina-X1-Rasmussen
Bert-Larkin-Mantha
Svech-Veleno-X2
Smith-X-X

X3-Seider
Cholowski-Hronek
X-X

Larsson

x1-3 are what I think we need to become a winning team. An elite F, ideally C, like Matthews level, and a top pairing D, along with another scoring winger.
X1 is hopefully Byfield or another lottery selection.
X2 is AA or some other prospect we develop, like Mastrosimone, Berggren, Hirose etc or someone else we develop. Or a FA. Many options. My moneys on Berggren, love that kid.
X3 is likely a big FA D signing. Best case is Roman Josi this upcoming summer. Or someone else we draft. Or one of Cholo Mcisaac etc blows up and defies expectations.

 

[NickH8]

Bertuzzi - Larkin - Mantha
Athanasiou - Veleno - Zadina
Rasmussen - XXX - XXX (could swap with Zadina)
Svechnikov - Ehn - Grewe

Cholowski - Seider
XXX - Hronek
DeKeyser - XXX

Askarov
Larsson

Basically I see us signing/trading for a 3rd line center as Rasmussen ends up being better at the wing, a 2nd/3rd line rw depending on how Zadina develops, and top 4 and 3rd pair defenseman. Svechnikov, Ehn, and Grewe form a physical 4th line that can pitch in offensively. Guys like Berggren, Mastrosimone, Johansson, Tuomisto, etc. bust or are not ready or are traded.

Also we finish in the top half of the bottom 10 this year and select Askarov.

 

[ricky0034]

Lashbrook(29)-Fenstermacher(23)-Long(22)
Lavrentiev(37)-Rucker(28)-Livengood(31)
Henderson(23)-Hollis(33)-Maldonado(27)
Ohearn(25)-Dupuis(35)-Carter(26)

Järnefelt(32)-Blažek(26)
Efimov(38)-Mullagh(23)
Ortega(25)-Ward(22)

Ozsvát(30)
Clisby(25)

 

[JustJokinenAround]

are you kidding me? how in the world is anyone going to predict this.

this is absurd.

 

[ChelisChiliBar]

Lashbrook(29)-Fenstermacher(23)-Long(22)
Lavrentiev(37)-Rucker(28)-Livengood(31)
Henderson(23)-Hollis(33)-Maldonado(27)
Ohearn(25)-Dupuis(35)-Carter(26)

Järnefelt(32)-Blažek(26)
Efimov(38)-Mullagh(23)
Ortega(25)-Ward(22)

Ozsvát(30)
Clisby(25)

Is that your EHM lineup from 2055-56?

 

[TheOtherOne]

are you kidding me? how in the world is anyone going to predict this.

this is absurd.

Well, like this:

Bertuzzi(24) - Larkin(23) - Mantha(25)
Rasmussen(20) - X - X
Athanasiou(25) - Veleno(19) - Hirose(23)
Smith(21) - X - X

Seider(18) - Hronek(21)
X - Cholowski(21)
Bowey(24) - X

X

I hope that makes it more clear!

 

[JustJokinenAround]

Well, like this:


I hope that makes it more clear!

my point was it could be it could be a lineup 5 years from now or it could be a lineup of kids that aren't even born yet. you can't predict this.

 

[Gniwder]

X - X - X
X - X - X
X - X - X
X - X - X

X - X
X - X
X - X

X
X

FIFY

AleXis - X - X
X - X - X
X - X - X
X - X - X

X - X
X - X
X - X

X
X

 

[TheOtherOne]

my point was it could be it could be a lineup 5 years from now or it could be a lineup of kids that aren't even born yet. you can't predict this.

Yea my point was you CAN predict this, and that's what the rest of us are doing in this thread, so I'm not sure why you're having such a hard time.

 

[wingerdinger]

Bertuzzi-Larkin-Mantha
AA-Byfield-Zadina
Rasmussen-Velena-Svench
Smith-Grewe-Breggren
Pearson,Ehn

Choloski-Seider
McIssac-Hronek
Johanson-Regula
Lindstrom

Larsson
(Vet backup)

 

[Oddbob]

X - X - X
X - X - X
X - X - X
X - X - X

X - X
X - X
X - X

X
X

My only change is adding Larkin.

 

[Oddbob]

Yea my point was you CAN predict this, and that's what the rest of us are doing in this thread, so I'm not sure why you're having such a hard time.

But then you can do that with anything. The reality is more than likely it will be at least 5+ years from now before we even have a realistic shot at winning the Cup. I think there is a tremendous chance we either have no one from the current roster, or only Larkin. Unfortunately, most of our exciting young guys just won't be what we hope they will be. In a 5+ year stretch, virtually every roster looks dramatically different, unless you get radically lucky with guys both making the NHL and being impact players.

 

[TheOtherOne]

But then you can do that with anything. The reality is more than likely it will be at least 5+ years from now before we even have a realistic shot at winning the Cup. I think there is a tremendous chance we either have no one from the current roster, or only Larkin. Unfortunately, most of our exciting young guys just won't be what we hope they will be. In a 5+ year stretch, virtually every roster looks dramatically different, unless you get radically lucky with guys both making the NHL and being impact players.

Great, so you've successfully completed the exercise. What are you arguing about?

 

[Gniwder]

But then you can do that with anything. The reality is more than likely it will be at least 5+ years from now before we even have a realistic shot at winning the Cup. I think there is a tremendous chance we either have no one from the current roster, or only Larkin. Unfortunately, most of our exciting young guys just won't be what we hope they will be. In a 5+ year stretch, virtually every roster looks dramatically different, unless you get radically lucky with guys both making the NHL and being impact players.

It took the Ovechkin era Caps an entire decade between getting into the playoffs in 2007 -08 and winning the Cup in 2018. The only two players to play on both teams were Ovy and Backstrom.

So yeah, it's almost impossible to predict, but it's for kicks and giggles. Let'em have their fun....

Edit: Maybe it would be more relevant to mention that the Yzerman era Red Wings went 13 years between making the playoffs and winning a Cup. The only player remaining from the '83 - '84 team was Yzerman, though Kenny played 3 games as goalie that season.

 

[The Wizard of Oz]

2-0 start Stanley here we come!

 

[TheOtherOne]

To be clear, if you have Xs across the board, I consider that to be a perfectly valid prediction. I HOPE it won't come true, but I won't pretend it's not realistic. I just chose optimism for myself.

 

[ThePuckStopsHere]

Bert - Larkin - Mantha
Lafrenierre - Veleno - Zadina
Svechnikov - AA - Rasmussen
Mastrosimone - Grewe - Berggren

Seider - Cholo
McIssac - Hronek
Tuomisto - Chayka

Larson
Comrie

 

[lilidk]

Bert-Larkin-Mantha
Berggren-Veleno-Zadina
Rasmussen-Philips-Mastrosimone
Crewe-Adams-O'Reilly
3rd line going to be the best

 

[MBH]

Pretty hard to see a cup winner right now.
Gotta see how Veleno and the young D develop.

People who didn't live through the 70s, 80s and 90s forget how f***ing hard it was to win.. even when we had an owner that spent 2 and 3 and even 4 times as much as other owners.

So, no disrespect to OP. But "our next winning cup," in a 32-team cap league, man... that could be a long, long, long time.
Nearing 50, maybe not in my lifetime.

I think if Veleno is a top 6 C, Zadina, Ras and Svech are top 9ers, if Seider and Cholo and Hronek and McIsaac are all top 4 guys.... if we then get a goalie and a decent head coach - we cold be a contender. Not a favorite. But a contender.

 

[TheOtherOne]

Pretty hard to see a cup winner right now.
Gotta see how Veleno and the young D develop.

People who didn't live through the 70s, 80s and 90s forget how ****ing hard it was to win.. even when we had an owner that spent 2 and 3 and even 4 times as much as other owners.

So, no disrespect to OP. But "our next winning cup," in a 32-team cap league, man... that could be a long, long, long time.
Nearing 50, maybe not in my lifetime.

I think if Veleno is a top 6 C, Zadina, Ras and Svech are top 9ers, if Seider and Cholo and Hronek and McIsaac are all top 4 guys.... if we then get a goalie and a decent head coach - we cold be a contender. Not a favorite. But a contender.

If a player who's currently 18 plays until 35, that takes us to 2036. Therefore, you can essentially predict a 28-year Cup drought and still include a few 18 or 19 year olds on your roster. Our last long drought was 42 years.

I'm not saying you have to use that, just giving you some material for thought.