Which team has the longest path to be a legitimate Cup contender?

I think it's either Detroit or Los Angeles. Both teams have some bad and unmovable contracts, as well as farm systems lacking high end talent. Both teams are going to have to go through long, hard rebuild to get back into contention.

Detroit for sure. LA is trending down and San Jose will start falling soon.

On a side note, nice new profile pic, Krak.

San Jose wouldn't go in that category for me because they're still cup contenders.

LAK is kind of still a cup contender, but only if they make the playoffs, which is the challenge for them.

Chicago is gonna make the playoffs if you ask me, but only in 2018, not for a while after that, and they don't seem like a full cup contender anymore, and will be horrible for years i think.

Why thank ya



Obviously any team can win the Cup once they get in, but LA can't be considered legit. They don't have nearly enough forward depth, and they are so darn slow. Once they play a team like Edmonton, Calgary or Anaheim, they're done.

San Jose? They have some of the best high end talent in the league, but who's going to score for them? Pavelski and Burns can't do it all.

Pavelski, Burns, Couture, Boedker, Donskoi, Hertl, Thornton, Karlsson, Meier.

LAK is very likely gonna be SCARY good if they make it.

so Dustin Brown and Marian Gaborik become 5 years younger? don't think that's happening

I don't have LA in the playoffs but i still kinda should call them cup contenders because if they make it they are REALLY good.

And yes, i just made new predictions, and i took LA out and replaced them with Anaheim ... is this realistic?

HOW DID YOU HAVE LA TAKING ANAHEIM'S SPOT IN THE FIRST PLACE?????????

Toronto Maple Leafs

Yes!

But in reality I think that it's definitely LA but only if they don't sneak into the playoffs. They have a terrible farm system, and their team is not close to rebuilding, but not too close to contention either. They have key pieces to be contenders but just can't make it. The Kings will hover in mediocrity for awhile while players like Quick, Doughty, and Kopitar will keep them from the basement. Once they finally start the rebuild they will have almost nothing. I think they will be a little like the Oilers from the 90's to now.

I still do have LAK close to the playoffs and Anaheim in the 2nd WC, losing in round 1. Anaheim's game works until it doesn't, and LAK seems to make it every 2nd year, but i guess ANA did make it to round 3 this year and i think the Kings might just fall out. That's a good division.

" Anaheim's game works until it doesn't"

RAIF, do you see why everyone else sees analysis like this as useless? Sure, you may know what you mean by saying that, but when you articulate it like that, the rest of us just see you saying "Anaheim is a good team until they aren't a good team", which makes 0 sense.

I mean that the Ducks kind of have a game of slowing the game down, making it actually not that exciting to watch. The league is getting faster, and now their division is getting better. Edmonton makes it, Calgary makes it, San Jose makes it. And then i think Arizona's getting better, so it might be time that the ducks fall out of the playoffs, though i predict that they get in.

Wings Vegas and Canucks are probably furthest to contention

I would say it is a toss up between the canucks and wings

I think Vancouver is closer than people think. They have some foundation up front with Horvat, Boeser, Baertschi, Dahlen and Pettersson. On defense, Juolevi should be a top pairing guy, and they have Demko who projects to be a high end goalie. All Detroit has is some decent prospects and a huge salary cap issue.

Canucks definitely have a brighter future than the wings but for the 17/18 season they should
Once again be at the bottom
Of the leauge

Agreed, but they'll start ascending much quicker than Detroit will

Canucks and Leafs

In no particular order.....

Canucks
Avalanche
Bruins
Coyotes
Jets
Capitals
Golden Knights
Red Wings
Oilers (hey I'm from Calgary, I have to choose the Oilers LOL)

Raif, you must be an undercover Canucks fan...I've never seen someone hate on the Ducks so much who is not a Kings... if you want to say a team is not going to make the playoffs prove it by explaining the reason why. Have some facts backing up everything you say and maybe someone will take you serious. Your reasoning makes you sound like a butt hurt Canucks fan who saw Kesler leave and come to the Ducks. (Sorry Booth)

It says he's from Vancouver in his bio. Wouldn't be surprised...

It might explain how the die hard Isles fan thought Anders Lee was a center...

Wings, bad contracts and bad farm system doesn't help. . The Avs. The Canucks, but if they could spend the 14m wisely when the Sedins leave they have some hope. The Jets, can probably never attract UFAs at a good price that would put them over the top. Montreal, weak farm system, and I would think the inability to attract UFAs without overpaying. (taxes/language.)