Tampa Bay: Are we witnessing the best roster in the cap era?

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

How did they show they have what it takes anymore than the Sharks of years past? Lots of won rounds, all the checkboxes, even made it further than this Bolts going to the finals.

Did the lightning not make it to the finals recently?

 

[Advanced stats]

Seriously seems like a case of

Hmm, how badly is Tampa going to crush ________ tonight?

Filthly good team.

 

[Hennessy]

Sure, Cup. But these discussions are always about "on paper", and I think Tampa has a pretty strong case. Will it amount to anything? We'll see. But they're as stacked a squad as I've seen in less-than-recent memory.

 

[Kamiccolo]

Did the lightning not make it to the finals recently?

Yup lol. Either way the point stands. The Sharks did all the same things and never won anything.

 

[Matty Sundin]

Yzerman made a f***ing gangsta roster.

 

[Bounces R Way]

I think yes. Yzerman did an exceptional job with all aspects of GMing. Good signings, good amateur and pro scouting, made some great trades, strong asset management, he assembled a great team. Bizarre he chose to leave before the fruits of his labour could be realized. The Lightning are pound for pound the best team in the league. They haven't even lost 10 times yet and it's almost Christmas. They could have 30 wins by January.

 

[gtrower]

Up there with the better regular season rosters in the last decade or so. It’s hard to win a Cup. You can have the best roster and still only have a 10% chance to win the whole thing. So I don’t think you have to win a Cup to have the best roster. Cups are how you determine who the best teams were. Best roster and best team is two different things.

 

[T REX]

Lightning fan here...until we win it all...we are the best team never to win it in the cap era. Imho this book has yet been finished though. Stevie Y and Jeff Vinik have done an outstanding job. Not much else to say. For Stammer to be an all time great hes gotta come through in the playoffs.

 

[VoluntaryDom]

I want to say yes, but they did get rattled by Vancouver

yeah rattled 5-2. oh wait...

 

[VoluntaryDom]

One of the better regular season rosters in the last decade or so. But their reliance on the PP becomes more apparent in the Spring. Also think their D behind Hedman is suspect regardless of reputation.

we lead the NHL in 5v5 goals scored since the start of last season by 15, and are easily the only team with over 3 5v5 goals/60 in that span

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

yeah rattled 5-2. oh wait...

It was sarcasm. I saw people saying that in earnest though

 

[gtrower]

we lead the NHL in 5v5 goals scored since the start of last season by 15, and are easily the only team with over 3 5v5 goals/60 in that span

Edited my post to remove that as I didn’t think it fit with the topic. But they had something like 10 ES goals the entire 7-game series against the Caps last year.

 

[John Eichel da GOAT]

But do they have the best top 9 ever assembled in the history of the world?!?!

In all seriousness, the Lightning, Predators and Jets are so far ahead of everyone else, I cant help but respect it.

 

[Kingsfan1]

I really thought Toronto would have this title but Tampa Bay is definitely on a level of their own and changed my opinion. Unfortunate for Toronto because I think Tampa will beat them in the playoffs . New Chicago and LA

 

[PromisedLand]

I think the hawks had the best roster in the cap era. The first cup that roster was absolutely STACKED

 

[POVERTY]

Tampa are cup favourites and it's not close

 

[King Mapes]

So because Carolina has a cup, does that mean they had a great roster?
Because Vegas made the finals, did they have a great roster?

Because Vancouver didn't win the cup from 2010-15 does that mean their roser wasn't great?


I maintain that you can have an elite roster and not win the cup, just as you can have a meh roster and still win a cup...

How many elite teams over a period of time did not win though?

Vegas didn't win. So you had literally one example. Leafs from 98-2004 were a very good team but they can't be considered elite.

How often has a "meh" roster won a cup? Let's be real here.

 

[b in vancouver]

The Hawks and Bruins teams that met in The Finals were stacked from top to bottom.

 

[bardown23]

Came in expecting another Leafs thread... Leaving pleasantly surprised.

 

[BostonBruins11]

Suprise surprise this turned into a leaf thread
...... Again

 

[Advanced stats]

How many elite teams over a period of time did not win though?

Vegas didn't win. So you had literally one example. Leafs from 98-2004 were a very good team but they can't be considered elite.

How often has a "meh" roster won a cup? Let's be real here.

San Jose and Vancouver in recent years are elite teams that didn't win.

Carolina is a meh team that won the cup recently.

No idea why you mentioned the leafs.

It happens more than you think though.

 

[PromisedLand]

Came in expecting another Leafs thread... Leaving pleasantly surprised.

looks like most of the "leafs" talk is actually started by the bruin fans and the leafs fans are blamed for it.....

 

[Machinehead]

The post-lockout roster that still blows me away the most didn't even win the Cup.

2006-07 Sabres.

 

[Frankie Blueberries]

Statistically speaking, the Canucks had the best post-lockout season in 2010-2011. In terms of any major metric such as PP %, PK %, GF, GA, etc. Also had a Hart and Art Ross winner, Selke winner, won the Jennings, won the President's Trophy, had a Vezina nominee, had 6 20 goal scorers, etc.

 

[VinikToWinIt]

The last 3 years Tampa has made the playoffs they’ve lost in the finals to Chicago, lost in game 7 to Pittsburgh in the conference finals who eventually won the cup and lost in game 7 of the conference finals to Washington who won the cup...

I’d hardly call them “not built for the playoffs” last year was the only year they were favoured in any of those series.

Around here you’re a choker if you don’t win the whole thing, regardless of how far you make it.

Some people fail to see the difference between the current Lightning and the pre-2017 Caps.