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Which Canadian team will end the Stanley Cup drought? Predicting the next franchise to lift the coveted trophy
It has been 30 years since a Canadian NHL team won the Stanley Cup.
The last team to accomplish this feat was the 1992-93 Montreal Canadiens.
In this year's playoffs, there were only three teams from up North with a chance to take home the silver chalice: the Winnipeg Jets, Edmonton Oilers, and Toronto Maple Leafs. Here is how each team fared:
30 Years go by without a Canadian Stanley Cup champion
Winnipeg Jets
The Winnipeg Jets had the longest odds to win the cup entering the playoffs as the second wild card in the Western Conference. The Jets also had the shortest run.
After coming out on top in Game 1 against the Vegas Golden Knights, the Jets fell apart. Winnipeg lost four straight games by a combined score of 18-9.
The Jets allowed four or more goals in all four losses and were thrown under their bus by their Head Coach Rick Bowness following Game 5. There are a lot of decisions to be made about the future of this team.
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers have had one of the best offensive teams ever since Connor McDavid entered the league in 2015. But despite having two of the top players in the world at their disposal, the Oilers have fallen short each and every season.
Last year, Edmonton made it to the Western Conference Final before being swept by the Colorado Avalanche. This postseason, they knocked off the Los Angeles Kings in six games but fell short once again, losing to the Vegas Golden Knights in round two.
McDavid is still only 26, but Edmonton better hurry up and get over this hump while he is in his prime so that he can deliver a Stanley Cup.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Oh, the Toronto Maple Leafs.
After 19 seasons without a series win, the Leafs finally got out of the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. It was a party in Ontario, as Toronto overcame multiple demons and defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games. But the party was short-lived.
After upsetting the President's Trophy winners in the first round, the Florida Panthers stormed into Toronto on a mission. Despite being the lowest seed in the tournament, Florida took it to the Maple Leafs, knocking them out in only five games. Toronto scratched and clawed to avoid a sweep but could not get close to completing the epic 3-0 series comeback.
Now, the Leafs will be faced with a mountain of decisions regarding some of the biggest names both on and off the ice.
Which Canadian team will finally break the curse?
Eventually, an NHL team from Canada will hoist the Stanley Cup. Or at least, I think they will. So who will that be?
My prediction: the Ottawa Senators.
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