Quite than be subjective and simply say, “the Chicago Blackhawks have been nice and the Edmonton Oilers sucked,” for a lot of the 2010s, we thought we’d strategy our crew rankings for the last decade with a extra formulaic strategy. Because it seems, the Blackhawks have been nice and the Oilers sucked by the numbers as properly. Actually, the Oilers have been a Connor McDavid lottery win away from being the flat-out worst crew of the last decade. That honor belongs to the Buffalo Sabres.
So right here was how we ranked the groups of the last decade. We assigned factors, each negatively and positively, for varied benchmarks. A Stanley Cup was value 15 factors and a Presidents’ Trophy was value 10. Every crew’s regular-season file for the last decade (by video games Dec. 20) was inversely proportional to the variety of factors they accrued, with one of the best crew incomes 31 factors and the Oilers 1. Every year a crew made the playoffs was value three factors and lacking them was minus-Three. Every playoff collection win was value 5 factors and every crew’s particular person trophy winner accounted for 3 factors.
Because the Vegas Golden Knights had solely two seasons and the remainder of the league had 10, apart from their general file, their accrued factors have been multiplied by 5. Right here’s our rating:
(And an enormous stick faucet to Bob Waterman of the Elias Sports activities Bureau for offering us with every crew’s file for the last decade.)
Not solely have been the Blackhawks the pre-eminent dynasty of the 2010s, their three Stanley Cups make them the primary actual post-2005 lockout dynasty. They fell on laborious instances towards the top of the last decade, however have been making a spirited run for a playoff spot by the mid-season mark.
In an earlier weblog, The Hockey Information named Sidney Crosby the participant of the last decade, so for positive that helps. The Penguins have been the one crew within the NHL that performed the complete decade and secured a playoff spot every season. They’re additionally the one post-lockout crew to win back-to-back Cups.
Playoff success eluded them for a lot of the last decade, however their regular-season excellence, each from collective and particular person standpoints, has them close to the highest of the league. No person scored extra objectives within the decade than Alex Ovechkin and it wasn’t even shut. No crew had a greater regular-season file than the Caps.
A shock entrant within the high 5, the Golden Knights have carried out extra with lower than the vast majority of the NHL. It began, after all, with their phenomenal inaugural season, one of the best by an enlargement crew within the historical past sports activities. The Golden Knights left Seattle an virtually essential act to observe within the 2020s.
One other crew that gained just one Stanley Cup throughout the decade, the Bruins did handle to get to the ultimate twice, dropping in agonizing trend to Chicago in 2013 and St. Louis in 2019. They don’t get any further factors for it, however no crew has manipulated the wage cap higher than the Bruins.
Maybe essentially the most underachieving NHL crew of the last decade, the Lightning have been dealt the body-blow of the last decade after they have been swept within the first spherical of the playoffs in 2019 after successful the Presidents’ Trophy. Their play within the final half season of the last decade was sufficient to drive their followers to drink. Closely.
You is perhaps shocked at how low the Kings are, however the common season counts for one thing, too. Even after they gained their two Cups, the Kings weren’t precisely regular-season juggernauts they usually positively fell on laborious instances as the last decade got here to a detailed. There are nonetheless a number of groups that might commerce locations with them, although.
The texture-good story of 2019, and maybe of the last decade, the St. Louis Blues have been really a fairly strong crew for the complete 10-year interval. From Jan. 1 by video games performed Dec. 20, there was not a crew with a greater regular-season file than the Blues, who have been 31st general within the NHL on Jan. Three, 2019.
That sound you hear in northern California is the Stanley Cup window being slammed shut on the Sharks, which is simply too unhealthy as a result of they have been a power by a lot of the last decade. Judging by their play within the first half of 2019-20, the primary a part of the 2020s doesn’t look notably promising, notably since they’re with out their first-round choose in 2020.
The rebuild is full-on in New York, a crew that was actually good over the last decade, however not fairly adequate. The Rangers have a formidable secure of prospects and younger gamers and proceed to stockpile property that can make the center of the 2020s loads brighter.
They gained a Presidents’ Trophy and received to the Stanley Cup remaining in 2017, however once more have been one other actually good, however not nice crew. It was not for a scarcity of making an attempt by GM David Poile, who made among the most blockbuster offers of the last decade.
Because the glory years of this franchise proceed to fade into reminiscence, the Canadiens endured simply the second full decade of their existence with out recording a single Stanley Cup. It was primarily extra of the identical general mediocrity with a number of brilliant spots, however they missed the playoffs twice on this decade and thrice within the earlier one. There are some tantalizing prospects that make the 2020s intriguing, nonetheless.
Issues had began out so properly for the Canucks on this decade, what with the Sedin twins on the top of their powers and their Stanley Cup remaining look in 2011. The loss in Sport 7 to the Boston Bruins on dwelling ice was a gut-punch to make certain. The Canucks are one other crew that has promising days forward.
We’re actually attending to the mushy center right here, eh? The Geese managed to place up some fairly spectacular common seasons all through the last decade, however because it progressed, the window to win a Stanley Cup progressively closed. Getting into the brand new decade, the Geese are in a little bit of no-man’s land, not adequate to significantly contend, nor unhealthy sufficient to amass excessive draft picks. Aside from this season, which holds some very severe tanking prospects.
All proper, let’s simply get this out of the way in which proper now. The Flyers have been sabotaged by a lot of the last decade by their incapacity to search out somebody, anybody, who may cease the puck with any sense of consistency. They hope to have discovered that younger man in Carter Hart. With Hart in internet and a few good prospects, a few of them coming solely somewhat extra slowly than anticipated, the Flyers nonetheless appear a methods away from contending.
The Pink Wings spent a lot of the last decade making an attempt to maintain their consecutive playoff streak alive that they overpassed the longer term. And now that future, not less than within the short-term, seems to be grim. However there may be hope. Among the youngsters can actually play, Steve Yzerman brings on the spot credibility to the hockey division and the potential exists that the Pink Wings may have one in all Alexis Lafreniere or Quinton Byfield on their roster as early as subsequent season. However in the event you’re on the lookout for a fast repair, go some other place.
There isn’t any fact to the hypothesis that the Minnesota Wild are contemplating formally altering their identify to the Meh-nnesota Not Wild. Was there within the crew that had a extra middling decade than the Wild? Not terribly good, not terribly unhealthy, simply type of there. They shocked the hockey world after they signed Zach Parise and Ryan Suter as unrestricted free brokers in the summertime of 2012, however did not advance past the second spherical of the playoffs.
Properly, this was attention-grabbing, in the event you like cleaning soap operas. The Islanders have been moribund for a lot of the decade, all of the whereas using the skills of the dynamic John Tavares on a deal that was some of the team-friendly within the league. Your complete franchise was alleged to collapse when he left, however as an alternative GM Lou Lamoriello has revitalized the franchise. With a brand new constructing on the horizon, issues are wanting up.
Sorry to the Islanders about that cleaning soap opera remark. The Senators have been simply the longest-running drama of the last decade. Except for 2017 after they made an unlikely run to the Japanese Convention remaining, they didn’t do a lot of something on the ice that was noteworthy. However that proprietor, eh? Individuals paid for billboards in an effort to run him out of city. Their makes an attempt to get a brand new constructing have supplied a good bit of comedy. With their worst days behind them and roughly 187 draft picks within the subsequent couple of years, the Sens are casting a watch to the longer term.
The Stars got here inside one additional time recreation of advancing to the Western Convention remaining final season. The playoff collection they gained to get there was solely the second playoff spherical of the last decade they managed to win. Most of that was attributable to the truth that they did not get a ticket to the dance in seven of the years of the 2010s.
When the Flames dealt heart-and-soul captain Jarome Iginla on the commerce deadline in 2013, a lot of their id left city with him. The Flames have had some brilliant spots, but it surely’s usually been 10 years of futility. At the least the Flames managed to look north and do what the Edmonton Oilers did, which was persuade taxpayers to largely foot the invoice for a shiny new area for them.
When the Blue Jackets swept the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Lightning within the first spherical of the playoffs final season, they escaped mediocrity for the primary time within the decade. But it surely got here at a steep worth. GM Jarmo Kekalainen went all-in final season, conserving Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky and buying and selling for Matt Duchene. None of them was there when coaching camp opened this season.
You recognize it’s not a fantastic decade when your efficiency within the draft lottery exceeds your play on the ice. The Devils made the Stanley Cup remaining in 2012, the one three playoff rounds they gained within the decade. Additionally they received an MVP season from Taylor Corridor, whom they peddled off for a bunch of unsure futures.
Get again to us on these guys. As a result of they’re actually, actually good. Cale Makar is essentially the most dynamic defenseman to come back alongside in a long time and Nathan MacKinnon would possibly simply be one of the best participant on the earth not named Sidney Crosby.
The 2010s will perpetually be remembered as the last decade the NHL got here again to Winnipeg to remain. And for some time, that was sufficient. However the Jets’ devoted are beginning to get somewhat weary of a crew that may’t appear to place collectively an entire lot of consistency. Like ever. Properly, not less than the town gained the Gray Cup for the primary time in 29 years in 2019. Man, that’s a number of dropping.
The Coyotes thought they’d combine it up somewhat in 2019. After serving as a feeder crew for the remainder of the NHL for a lot of the decade, they have been lastly in on the client finish of a deal when GM John Chayka traded for Taylor Corridor, understanding full properly that Corridor will virtually actually go for unrestricted free company after the season. It has been an extended, dry decade within the desert, chock filled with uncertainty. It might be good to see the Coyotes reverse the pattern on each entrance within the 2020s.
The Heart of the Hockey Universe™ had endured some fairly pathetic a long time and the 2010s have been proper up there when it got here to distress, not less than for the primary three quarters of it. The Leafs enter the 2020s with among the most dazzling offensive gamers within the recreation and play an up-tempo recreation. Wait, we’re getting forward of ourselves. Let’s see if they’ll win a playoff collection first.
The Hurricanes are hoping to capitalize on getting the Japanese Convention remaining in 2019, which prevented them from going Zero-for-the-2010s in lacking the playoffs. We’re not even positive what proprietor Tom Dundon is all about, however there are some actually good issues occurring there.
One in every of three groups to fail to win a single playoff collection within the decade, the Panthers served discover of their intention to contend in 2019 by hiring Joel Quenneville to teach and Sergei Bobrovsky to play purpose. One way or the other, although, the Panthers are nonetheless making an attempt to develop into greater than a sum of their components. However issues are wanting up.
No crew had a worse factors share than the Oilers did within the 2010s. No crew endured extra teaching adjustments. No crew made its followers wish to riot within the streets greater than the Oilers. (OK, Canucks followers really did riot within the streets after their crew misplaced the Stanley Cup remaining in 2011.) They received a brand new area, which was good. And so they received one of the best participant on the planet, which was nicer.
Shortly after shopping for the Sabres in 2011, proprietor Terry Pegula boldly acknowledged: “Beginning as we speak, the Buffalo Sabres’ motive for existence will probably be to win a Stanley Cup.” How did that work out for them? Properly, their sole motive for existence for a lot of the last decade was to be a punching bag for the remainder of the league. However that Jack Eichel child, he’s actually good, eh?
Need extra in-depth options, evaluation and an All-Entry go to the most recent content material? Subscribe to The Hockey Information journal.
Tags: lists, 2010sConnect: Concerning the AuthorKen CampbellKen Campbell, The Hockey Information’ senior author, is in his second tour with the model after an eight-year stint as a beat reporter for the Maple Leafs for the Toronto Star. The Sudbury native as soon as tried out for the Ontario League’s Wolves as a 30-year-old. Evidently, it did not work out.
