<p>Building a contender at the NHL Trade Deadline isn’t as simple as checking off a shopping list of must-have ingredients for a Stanley Cup recipe.</p>



<p>But what if it was?</p>



<p>Over the past few years at Daily Faceoff, using the previous 10 NHL seasons as my case-study subjects, I developed a list of traits that were most common among the Stanley Cup winners. I came up with seven. And voila, the Stanley Cup ingredients series was born.</p>



<p>So far, we’ve explored the correlation factor of <a href="https://publish.dailyfaceoff.com/for-stanley-cup-contenders-the-beefier-the-better/">average team weight,</a> <a href="https://publish.dailyfaceoff.com/more-often-than-not-you-need-a-superstar-scorer-to-win-a-stanley-cup/">having at least one top-10 scorer</a>, <a href="https://publish.dailyfaceoff.com/do-you-still-need-an-established-stud-goaltender-to-win-a-stanley-cup/">having a top-10 goaltender</a>, <a href="https://publish.dailyfaceoff.com/if-the-advanced-stats-say-youre-badcan-you-still-win-a-stanley-cup/">exhibiting strong analytics</a> and <a href="https://publish.dailyfaceoff.com/special-teams-have-never-been-less-important-in-building-a-stanley-cup-winner/">having an elite penalty kill</a>. Next up, we explore the lords of the rings. How crucial is it to have previous Stanley Cup winning experience on your team? Can you win a championship without someone in the dressing room who knows what it takes to do so?</p><div class="injected-ad injected-video" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="0" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="149"></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-stanley-cup-ingredient-6-stanley-cup-rings">Stanley Cup Ingredient #6: Stanley Cup Rings</h2>



<p>In previous instalments of the Ingredients series, the correlation between Cup rings and, um, more Cups was strong. That was obvious when it came to repeat champions like the 2016-17 Pittsburgh Penguins and 2020-21 Tampa Bay Lightning and for teams that won multiple times in a short period, like the Chicago Blackhawks and Los Angeles Kings in the first half of the 2010s. When a team full of champs barely turns over, it has a clear experience edge over the field because it’s full of players who understand the sacrifices necessary to win. But even the one-offs or first-time winners in recent seasons always had at least one guy with a ring –&nbsp;and the 2022-23 Golden Knights did not buck that trend.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-table"><table><tbody><tr><td><strong>Season</strong></td><td><strong>Champion</strong></td><td><strong>Stanley Cup rings</strong></td></tr><tr><td>2013-14</td><td>Los Angeles</td><td>16</td></tr><tr><td>2014-15</td><td>Chicago</td><td>16</td></tr><tr><td>2015-16</td><td>Pittsburgh</td><td>6</td></tr><tr><td>2016-17</td><td>Pittsburgh</td><td>18</td></tr><tr><td>2017-18</td><td>Washington</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td>2018-19</td><td>St. Louis</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td>2019-20</td><td>Tampa Bay</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td>2020-21</td><td>Tampa Bay</td><td>18</td></tr><tr><td>2021-22</td><td>Colorado</td><td>2</td></tr><tr><td>2022-23</td><td>Vegas</td><td>6</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>



<p></p>



<p><em>Stanley Cup correlation: ABSOLUTE</em></p>



<p>For a team with no championships, Vegas was loaded with championship pedigree last year. Blueliner Alex Pietrangelo had already captained a Cup winner in St. Louis, and left winger Ivan Barbashev was his teammate on that 2018-19 team. Defenseman Alec Martinez had won two Cups as an L.A. King and even had a championship-clinching overtime goal on his resume. Center Chandler Stephenson had a ring from the 2017-18 Capitals. And even two guys who didn’t suit up for any 2023 Golden Knights playoff games were around with plenty of wisdom to offer as multi-Cup winners: right winger Phil Kessel and goaltender Jonathan Quick. Both guys got their names engraved on the Cup last year, by the way.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="1" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="244"></div>



<p>It’s rare for teams without prior championships to have so much winning pedigree, but that’s what makes Vegas’ management so unique. Kelly McCrimmon simply goes out and plugs every inconceivable hole, even the intangible kind. While Vegas was an extreme example, it <em>is</em> common for every Stanley Cup winner to have someone in the room with a ring, even if it’s a single player. The correlation here is as strong as it gets. The research suggests you simply don’t win a Cup nowadays without a prior winner on the roster. Does that make the Stanley Cup ring the most important ingredient in the recipe?</p>



<p>Armed with the understanding of the ring’s power, let’s peruse the 2023-24 NHL field and identify which teams lack a single Stanley Cup winner at the moment.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="2" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="131"></div>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-2023-24-nhl-teams-without-a-stanley-cup-winning-player">2023-24 NHL teams without a Stanley Cup winning player</h3>



<p>Columbus Blue Jackets</p>



<p>End of list.</p>



<p>The Blue Jackets are an embarrassment at the moment, completely devoid of winning culture, so no one would expect them to have a winner on their roster. But last year, when I did this exercise, we had six teams without a Cup winner. Now we have one? Maybe GMs are smartening up. A few weeks ago, one other franchise would’ve qualified for the no-Cups list: the Toronto Maple Leafs. But GM Brad Treliving acquired a previous winner in Joel Edmundson on March 7. He’s a depth addition, sure, but the “Cup winner” rule isn’t exclusive to superstars. The 2017-18 Capitals only had bruising blueliner Brooks Orpik. On the 2018-19 Blues, it was only Oskar Sundqvist. The 2019-20 Lightning only had Patrick Maroon. Even a single winning voice in the room seems to be enough.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="3" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="140"></div>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Previous instalments of Stanley Cup Ingredients 2024</h3>



<p><a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/for-stanley-cup-contenders-the-beefier-the-better">Team Weight</a><br><a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/more-often-than-not-you-need-a-superstar-scorer-to-win-a-stanley-cup">Top-10 Scorer(s)</a><br><a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/do-you-still-need-an-established-stud-goaltender-to-win-a-stanley-cup">Top-10 Goaltender</a><br><a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/if-the-advanced-stats-say-youre-badcan-you-still-win-a-stanley-cup">Expected Goal Differential</a><br><a href="https://publish.dailyfaceoff.com/special-teams-have-never-been-less-important-in-building-a-stanley-cup-winner/">Penalty Killing Efficiency</a></p>



<p><strong><em>Next up: Trade Deadline Deals</em></strong></p>



<p>_____</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://publish.dailyfaceoff.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/thumbnail_Betano_ON_Base_727x404.png"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="727" height="404" src="https://publish.dailyfaceoff.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/thumbnail_Betano_ON_Base_727x404.png" alt="Betano" class="wp-image-107916" srcset="https://publish.dailyfaceoff.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/thumbnail_Betano_ON_Base_727x404.png 727w, https://publish.dailyfaceoff.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/thumbnail_Betano_ON_Base_727x404-300x167.png 300w, https://publish.dailyfaceoff.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/thumbnail_Betano_ON_Base_727x404-150x83.png 150w, https://publish.dailyfaceoff.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/thumbnail_Betano_ON_Base_727x404-600x333.png 600w, https://publish.dailyfaceoff.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/thumbnail_Betano_ON_Base_727x404-696x387.png 696w" sizes="(max-width: 727px) 100vw, 727px"></a></figure>



<p></p>



<p><a href="https://switchboard.actionnetwork.com/offers?affiliateId=931&amp;campaignId=6242&amp;context=web-book-review-page&amp;stateCode=ON&amp;propertyId=324" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Discover&nbsp;Betano.ca&nbsp;</a>– a premium Sports Betting and Online Casino experience. Offering numerous unique and dynamic betting options along with diverse digital and live casino games,&nbsp;Betano&nbsp;is where The Game Starts Now. 19+. Please play responsibly.</p>



<p>_____</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Recently by Matt Larkin</h2>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><a href="https://publish.dailyfaceoff.com/former-nhler-chris-simon-dies-at-52/">Former NHLer Chris Simon dies at 52</a></li>



<li><a href="https://publish.dailyfaceoff.com/special-teams-have-never-been-less-important-in-building-a-stanley-cup-winner/">Special teams have never been less important in building a Stanley Cup winner</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/if-the-advanced-stats-say-youre-badcan-you-still-win-a-stanley-cup">If the advanced stats say you’re bad…can you still win a Stanley Cup?</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/more-often-than-not-you-need-a-superstar-scorer-to-win-a-stanley-cup">More often than not, you need a superstar scorer to win a Stanley Cup</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/for-stanley-cup-contenders-the-beefier-the-better">For Stanley Cup contenders, the beefier the better</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/2024-nhl-trade-deadline-winners-and-losers-long-live-the-golden-knights-evil-empire">2024 NHL Trade Deadline Winners and Losers: Long live the Golden Knights’ evil empire</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/i-love-him-to-death-trade-to-sabres-reunites-bowen-byram-with-close-friends-cozens-krebs">‘I love him to death.’ Trade to Sabres reunites Bowen Byram with close friends Cozens, Krebs</a></li>



<li><a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/as-the-pittsburgh-penguins-ship-sinks-dont-expect-sidney-crosby-to-abandon-it">As the Pittsburgh Penguins’ ship sinks, don’t expect Sidney Crosby to abandon it</a></li>
</ul>
