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Ranking the 5 last NHL Presidents' Trophy winners from worst to best
The New York Rangers can win the Presidents' Trophy on Monday night with a win over the Ottawa Senators. They currently hold a one-point lead over the Carolina Hurricanes (111) and the Dallas Stars (111), with everyone playing only one more time.
Different from the 2022-23 season, when the Boston Bruins won the Presidents' Trophy by 22 points, there hasn't been a clear-cut winner this season.
If the Rangers win their game tonight and earn the best record in the NHL, they will capture the Presidents' Trophy for the first time since 2014-15.
Considering New York set a franchise record for wins in a single season, it's been a memorable campaign on Broadway. Where would the 2023-24 season rank among the last five winners? Let's take a look and see who has won the Presidents' Trophy since 2019.
Ranking last 5 NHL Presidents' Trophy winners
#5 Colorado Avalanche (2020-21)
During the 56-game 2020-21 campaign, the Colorado Avalanche became only the third team in Presidents' Trophy history to win the award with less than 100 points, following the Detroit Red Wings (70 points) in 1995 and the Chicago Blackhawks (77 points) in 2013.
Moreover, the Avalanche became the second team besides the Buffalo Sabres in 2006-07 to win the trophy with a margin of zero points, instead taking the honor based on regulation wins.
In 2020-21, Colorado had a 39-13-4 record with 35 regulation wins and 82 points, which gave them an edge over the Vegas Golden Knights, who were 40-14-2 but only had 30 regulation wins to get to 82 points.
The Golden Knights beat the Avalanche in the second round.
#4 Boston Bruins (2019-20)
The Bruins lost in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final in 2018-19, and within a calendar year, were celebrating their third Presidents' Trophy win thanks to a 44-14-12 record and 100 points.
Unfortunately, the season was cut short due to the pandemic, allowing the Bruins to be the only team to reach 100 points, beating out the defending Stanley Cup champions, the St. Louis Blues (94), the Avalanche (92) and the Tampa Bay Lightning (92).
When the NHL resumed the season in August 2020 with the playoffs in Toronto and Edmonton, the Bruins only advanced to the second round, where the Lightning beat them in five games.
#3 Florida Panthers (2021-22)
The Florida Panthers captured their first Presidents' Trophy in 2021-22, leading the NHL with 122 points and 58 wins. Additionally, Florida led the league in goals (340) and had the best goal differential at plus-94.
They edged out the Avalanche (119 points), Carolina Hurricanes (116) and Toronto Maple Leafs (115). However, the Panthers' regular season success did not transfer to the postseason, where they eliminated the Capitals in six games before being swept by the Lightning in the second round.
#2 Tampa Bay Lightning (2018-19)
The 2018-19 Lightning became the best statistical team in NHL history, winning a record 62 games and collecting 128 points. They also had 56 regulation wins, scored 325 goals and had a goal differential of plus-103.
Tampa Bay had no competition for the best hockey record, winning the Presidents' Trophy by 15 points over the Calgary Flames (107 points) and Bruins (107).
After smashing the wins record held by the 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens, the Lightning faced the Columbus Blue Jackets in the first round. Despite a 30-point difference in the standings, the Blue Jackets swept Tampa Bay in four games in one of the greatest postseason upsets.
#1 Boston Bruins (2022-23)
The Canadiens held the record for most wins and points for almost four decades. In 2019, the club lost the wins record but maintained the points record until the Bruins finished the 2022-23 season.
Boston had the greatest statistical season in 2023, compiling 65 wins and 135 points. Historically, they beat out the Hurricanes (113 points) and New Jersey Devils (112) to win the Presidents' Trophy by 22 points, the second-largest margin of victory behind the 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings, who won by 27 points.
Considering how dominant the Bruins were all season, they got different bounces in the first round of the playoffs, losing to the Panthers in a scrappy series that ended in Game 7.
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