Which franchise has "failed" the most: Toronto, St.Louis, Buffalo, or Vancouver?

[streitz]

I still think its the Jets/Coyotes, only two trips beyond the first round. Pretty futile.

Mostly had to do with playing against the Oilers in the first round nearly every time. If the Jets had stayed in the Norris after 82 they would of spent the decade killing all those crap teams and Hawerchuk would have a legacy similar to Savard.


They weren't a top tier team in the 80's by any means but more often then not they were stronger then the entire Norris, most of the adams(excluding Boston and MTL), probably most of the Patrick aswell(other then the Dynasty isles and the Flyers, maybe the caps some years aswell).

 

[Reality Check]

Of the four listed, it's Toronto via market and resources in a landslide.

However, I will go with St. Louis. Those 3 Final appearances came after the inception of the franchise in a newly crafted division of six expansion teams. They have only been able to sniff the conference finals a total of 4 times since those 3 straight SCF appearances.

They have won the President's trophy once in their history. Only to lose in the first round, in humiliating fashion, to San Jose in game 7. Prior to that trophy being created, the Blues had finished second overall twice in the regular season. The 80-81 squad lost in the second round to the 13th seeded(out of 16 teams) Rangers in the second round. Meanwhile the 90-91 Blues had to come back from a 3-1 deficit to Detroit in round one. Only to be eliminated by the cinderella North Stars in the second round.

The only "highlight" they have as a franchise is a playoff streak. Of which they achieved primarily nothing in a league that allows half the league into the playoffs.

Vancouver has made the SCF twice and lost in seven both times. As for Buffalo, most of us will agree they got screwed in game 6 of the SCF. Not to say they win that game or series but they have a legit complaint. Plus the horrendous luck they had in 2006. Even Toronto had back to back conference final appearances.

A case can be made for all four. But in terms of hope and expectations, the Blues always come to mind. Consistently good but never an actual contender. Which is the worst place to be.

 

[Merya]

It Toronto ofc. Its a unique team across games with absolutely biggest budget and biggest fanbase with zero success. In football this would not be possible. The fans would've razed the grounds and hanged the board.

 

[goeb]

Easily the Leafs in my opinion.

Even if you ignore the Finals appearance drought (which has got to be the worst in North American pro sports), ask yourself, which has had the most lackluster regular season accomplishments in the expansion era?

The Blues, Sabres and Canucks have all won Presidents trophies. They also have all won their conference multiple times over the past 50 years.

They also have all had players since the expansion era that won major individual trophies during as a member of their roster:

Blues - Brett Hull, Chris Pronger, Al Macinnis
Sabres - Hasek, Barrasso
Canucks - Pavel Bure, Henrik Sedin, Daniel Sedin

The Leafs haven't had a goal scoring or scoring champ......no vezina winner..no norris winner. This goes beyond bad luck, this is just poor ownership to go through numerous coaches/management and have no significant accomplishments during the regular season or playoffs during a 50-year window. They should thank their lucky stars that their fans were still willing to line their pockets during this stretch. Aside from the past few years, the Leafs have been a horribly mismanaged team since the expansion era and I guess they can just keep reminiscing about the 1993 playoffs and Gretzky's high-stick on Gilmour in Game 6.

 

[Filatov2Kovalev2Bonk]

It's not the Leafs, that's for sure.
I mean, people saying the Leafs are forgetting their owner, Harold Ballard, essentially pillaged the team, traded players out of spite, alienated entertainers and made no effort whatsoever to improve the franchise?
These are not normal circumstances.

That leaves the Sabres, the Canucks and the Blues.
You kinda want to pick the Sabres here because they haven't made the finals in a while and are in a terrible situation right now, despite some prime talent.
St. Louis was just consistently vanilla.
Canucks had their own ups and downs but have made the finals 3 times in recent memory.

I mean, if I could go off the board my vote woudl be Columbus, few playoff appearances and even fewer wins, or the OG Jets, now in Arizone, with a seemingly improved game but still a history of disuse.

 

[McGarnagle]

Easily the Leafs in my opinion.

Even if you ignore the Finals appearance drought (which has got to be the worst in North American pro sports), ask yourself, which has had the most lackluster regular season accomplishments in the expansion era?

The Blues, Sabres and Canucks have all won Presidents trophies. They also have all won their conference multiple times over the past 50 years.

They also have all had players since the expansion era that won major individual trophies during as a member of their roster:

Blues - Brett Hull, Chris Pronger, Al Macinnis
Sabres - Hasek, Barrasso
Canucks - Pavel Bure, Henrik Sedin, Daniel Sedin

The Leafs haven't had a goal scoring or scoring champ......no vezina winner..no norris winner. This goes beyond bad luck, this is just poor ownership to go through numerous coaches/management and have no significant accomplishments during the regular season or playoffs during a 50-year window. They should thank their lucky stars that their fans were still willing to line their pockets during this stretch. Aside from the past few years, the Leafs have been a horribly mismanaged team since the expansion era and I guess they can just keep reminiscing about the 1993 playoffs and Gretzky's high-stick on Gilmour in Game 6.

The Sacramento Kings and Atlanta Hawks both beat the Leafs in futility. The Hawks' last finals appearance was in 1961 when they played in St. Louis. The Kings' was in 1951 when they were the Rochester Royals.

 

[Rogue Winger]

Of the four listed, it's Toronto via market and resources in a landslide.

Easily the Leafs in my opinion.

Even if you ignore the Finals appearance drought (which has got to be the worst in North American pro sports), ask yourself, which has had the most lackluster regular season accomplishments in the expansion era?

It Toronto ofc. Its a unique team across games with absolutely biggest budget and biggest fanbase with zero success. In football this would not be possible. The fans would've razed the grounds and hanged the board.

Exactly. Toronto Maple Leafs has the worst results by far. It’s the largest franchise in hockey and their results in the past 50 years are a joke in that context. Plus it’s not just lack of winning; for a such big organization, it’s weird how many times in the past their roster has been so mediocre. Now they are at last set for success, but the results remain to be seen.

(edit: removed Vancouver as the 2nd worst as St. Louis has probably more cases.)

 

[blood gin]

It Toronto ofc. Its a unique team across games with absolutely biggest budget and biggest fanbase with zero success. In football this would not be possible. The fans would've razed the grounds and hanged the board.

It's possible. Philadelphia is a huge market with a massive fanbase and they waited 58 years to win a Super Bowl. Though they did come very close to burning it all down

 

[Bluesguru]

St. Louis Blues have to be the most frustrating NHL franchise.

The franchise accumulated star talent from the mid 80's into the 90's but couldn't convert that into even one Cup appearance. To have Hull and never even get to the 3rd round with him was futile. To win a Cup, you got to have all 3 elements clicking, the right ownership, the right coach and the right GM. And the Blues have never had all 3 elements clicking in unison at the same time. Just a jinxed franchise IMO. The year the Blues got the 1st overall pick, they end up with Erik Johnson. The year before it was Crosby, the year after it was Kane, but no, we get Erik Johnson. And furthermore, the 2005 draft was the strike year. Pittsburgh got the pick based on the previous years standings. But the Blues would of been just as bad in 2005 as they were in 2006 if the season had played out, I mean if there was no strike, the Blues might of gotten Crosby instead. I could go on and on about the Blues. No doubt about it, the most jinxed franchise IMO.

 

[streitz]

The franchise accumulated star talent from the mid 80's into the 90's but couldn't convert that into even one Cup appearance. To have Hull and never even get to the 3rd round with him was futile.

That's true when I think about it. Blues have had so much different star talent over the years but always seemed to lack either the supporting cast or the goaltending. During the 80's and early 90's it seemed like they had so many star forwards(maybe a bit lacking in winger depth in the 80's). Then in the late 90's and early 2000's it seemed like they were just missing that big star forward to put them over the top.

 

[Vanzig]

LEAFS have 12 CUPS, Vancouver Canucks have ZERO. I wouldn’t say the LEAFS suck and/or have failed, YES it’s been a while from their last cup but ATLEAST THEY HAVE some Cups!!!

 

[Tarantula]

LEAFS have 12 CUPS, Vancouver Canucks have ZERO. I wouldn’t say the LEAFS suck and/or have failed, YES it’s been a while from their last cup but ATLEAST THEY HAVE some Cups!!!

How many of those cups do you remember?

 

[Jumptheshark]

Canuck made the final twice in my life so not them

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

LEAFS have 12 CUPS, Vancouver Canucks have ZERO. I wouldn’t say the LEAFS suck and/or have failed, YES it’s been a while from their last cup but ATLEAST THEY HAVE some Cups!!!

and exactly ZERO of those Cups have been in a league with more than 6 teams

 

[Cursed Lemon]

St. Louis has had so many good teams that have done positively squat in the playoffs.

 

[chrispw1]

The Blues have had numerous notable guys win cups for them after leaving among them Doug Gilmour, Joey Mullen, Scott Stevens, Brett Hull, Brendan Shanahan, Chris Pronger, Doug Weight, Rod Brindamour, most recently TJ Oshie and have had 16 cups won by former Blues coaches Scotty Bowman, Al Arbour and Joel Quenneville as illustrated in this video

 

[The Panther]

and exactly ZERO of those Cups have been in a league with more than 6 teams

In fact, the most recent time the Leafs won three playoff rounds was 1932.

 

[VanIslander]

HOW MANY TIMES WERE THEY A NON-PLAYOFF TEAM?

Vancouver 20
Buffalo 18
St. Louis 9

 

[The Panther]

HOW MANY TIMES WERE THEY A NON-PLAYOFF TEAM?

Vancouver 20
Buffalo 18
St. Louis 9

It seems Vancouver kinds of hits extremes more -- they're usually either at the bottom or near the top.

Buffalo and St.Louis have had their peak-periods, but usually they seem to be more 'middle-of-the-pack' clubs.

 

[Dirty Old Man]

English language takes a hit from the French Connection.

But...did it mean they got jumped over often, or were they kept safe? Both? Dadgum homonyms.

 

[Normand Lacombe]

Since the 1967 expansion, Toronto is tied for second with the Islanders with 21 non-playoff seasons. Hartford/Carolina is first with 26.

Of the current 31 teams, 26 have made at least one Cup Final appearance since 1967. Columbus, Minnesota, Arizona, Atlanta/Winnipeg and Toronto are the five franchises that have failed to make a final.

 

[a79krgm]

The Blues have had numerous notable guys win cups for them after leaving among them Doug Gilmour, Joey Mullen, Scott Stevens, Brett Hull, Brendan Shanahan, Chris Pronger, Doug Weight, Rod Brindamour, most recently TJ Oshie and have had 16 cups won by former Blues coaches Scotty Bowman, Al Arbour and Joel Quenneville as illustrated in this video/QUOTE]

Certainly a strong argument to be blue for the Blues here, but at least fans can always rejoice that it didn't end one day with moving trucks headed north to Saskatoon.

 

[Blues88]

Of the four listed, it's Toronto via market and resources in a landslide.

However, I will go with St. Louis. Those 3 Final appearances came after the inception of the franchise in a newly crafted division of six expansion teams. They have only been able to sniff the conference finals a total of 4 times since those 3 straight SCF appearances.

They have won the President's trophy once in their history. Only to lose in the first round, in humiliating fashion, to San Jose in game 7. Prior to that trophy being created, the Blues had finished second overall twice in the regular season. The 80-81 squad lost in the second round to the 13th seeded(out of 16 teams) Rangers in the second round. Meanwhile the 90-91 Blues had to come back from a 3-1 deficit to Detroit in round one. Only to be eliminated by the cinderella North Stars in the second round.

The only "highlight" they have as a franchise is a playoff streak. Of which they achieved primarily nothing in a league that allows half the league into the playoffs.

Vancouver has made the SCF twice and lost in seven both times. As for Buffalo, most of us will agree they got screwed in game 6 of the SCF. Not to say they win that game or series but they have a legit complaint. Plus the horrendous luck they had in 2006. Even Toronto had back to back conference final appearances.

A case can be made for all four. But in terms of hope and expectations, the Blues always come to mind. Consistently good but never an actual contender. Which is the worst place to be.

Add to all that some putrid ownership groups as well. Didn't send anyone to the ...what 82? 83? draft?

Mike Keenan alienating Gretzky and Hull....the Pronger debacle, the Gilmour debacle, the smoke around the Shanahan/Stevens tampering.

Its uh....its been interesting...to say the least.

 

[streitz]

Since the 1967 expansion, Toronto is tied for second with the Islanders with 21 non-playoff seasons. Hartford/Carolina is first with 26.

Of the current 31 teams, 26 have made at least one Cup Final appearance since 1967. Columbus, Minnesota, Arizona, Atlanta/Winnipeg and Toronto are the five franchises that have failed to make a final.

If Toronto and the islanders are tied for 2nd who's first? Just curious.

 

[Normand Lacombe]

If Toronto and the islanders are tied for 2nd who's first? Just curious.

Hartford/Carolina.