There are 13 teams to have never won a cup: Atlanta, Buffalo, Columbus, Los Angeles, Ottawa, Nashville, Minnesota, Phoenix, Washington, St. Louis, Vancouver, San Jose, and Florida. Some of those 13 have been to a Cup final and some may never go, but with every year a team has a chance and that’s all you will ever need. Everyone loves an upset or a Cinderella story, unless it’s against your team. Below are some predictions for each of the top three teams in postseason and Stanley Cup drought categories.

Most Seasons without making the Post Season:

1. Florida Panthers: 8 seasons since the Panthers graced the playoffs after they blew a 3-0 series lead to the NY Rangers and the Great One. One year after making a huge trip to the Stanley Cup. Since then it has been nothing but downhill and with another losing record on hand at 24-27-10 it doesn’t look good. As much as they are only 6 points away from Montreal in the final eighth spot, I don’t see them catching up too much. Look for them to tie the record for most seasons without a playoff appearance held by a combined two teams: The California Golden Seals/Cleveland Barons/Minnesota North Stars and The Colorado Rockies/New Jersey Devils.

2. Los Angeles Kings/Phoenix Coyotes: 6 long seasons Kings fans have been waiting (Coyote fans too but there aren’t a whole lot of them). From what it looks like this is going to be the year for both of them to break their droughts. The Kings started the season hot, but have cooled off in the last month. The Coyotes started their usual cold but have been consistently good for the past couple of months. However, the Kings and their young team have been showing promise with almost every game with a record of 37-20-4 and Coyotes have been better at 37-21-5. Both are high in the playoff picture and both are hungry for the playoffs. Look for both to continue playing well and end their droughts. Who knows? We could have a new rivalry on our hands.

3. Toronto Maple Leafs: It’s only been 4 seasons for the Leafs but what does it matter when you haven’t been to a Cup or won the Cup in 41 seasons? I will tell you why: fans, fans, fans. The fans are hungry like a hippo. The Leafs have one of the largest followings of any team in the NHL or in any sport in North America. Year after year they disappoint but the fans keep coming back. There is only one other place on this continent where that happens – Wrigley Field. However, the Leafs are in dead last in the East and with a record of 19-31-11 they won’t be going anywhere. The Leafs won’t make the playoffs and they will move into second place in post season droughts. However, with Mr. Burke as your GM, I would expect things to turn around soon.

Most Seasons without winning a Stanley Cup:
1. Chicago Blackhawks: It has been 47 up and down seasons since the Hawks have won the Cup and being in a city accustomed to losing, no one is surprised. They have been to the Cup final five times since 1961; 1962, 1965, 1971, 1973, and 1992 but like the Cubs, disappointment follows. There is more bad news. Bobby Hull is not going to walk through that door but I do have good news. Patrick Kane is. Kane is young and extremely talented and has all the tools to help his team get to the top. So I see the Blackhawks getting all the way to the Cup this year, but the norm in Chicago is to come close but not to win (exception to the Bulls and Sox, sorry Bears fans it’s going to be a loooooooooooong one).

2. Toronto Maple Leafs: Before the 1966-67 season the Leafs won 13 cups out of 21 appearances (more than any hockey fan can dream of). One as the Blue Shirts/Arenas in 1918 and one as the St. Patricks in 1922, then it was all Maple Leaf excellence. But after the 1966-67 season it was all disappointment. Whether making the playoffs or not, it doesn’t matter unless you win the cup in Toronto. Because it is just another year when you lose. I am not sure that Leafs fans would be happy just to make the final, a final without the Cup could go as a disaster and just like the drought noted above, Leafs fans are going to have to wait at least one more year.

3. Los Angeles Kings/St. Louis Blues: Both teams have never won a Cup in 41 seasons in the NHL, the same streak as the Maple Leafs but at least the Leafs have won at least one. The Blues have been to the final three times: 1967-68, 1968-69, and 1969-1970. The Kings have only been once with the Great One in 1992-93 but at least they didn’t lose three in row. No one has called them the Buffalo Bills of the NHL or should the Bills be called the Blues, because both of them sing the blues each season. Both teams got beat by the same team twice in a row. So I don’t see the Blues breaking this drought anytime soon, however the Kings are a different story. In a town where only the winners are liked (poor Clippers), the Kings have hopes of finally living up to their name. They MAY not make the cup this year but they will sooner than later.

All facts have been gathered from sportsencyclopedia.com and wikipedia.com

As evidenced by last season’s playoffs, the Pens need production from other players in order to achieve success.  Just looking back at the Stanley Cup Finals should produce enough evidence.  Timely goals by Jordan Staal and Maxime Talbot lifted the Pens to the Cup, especially as Crosby was relatively quiet during the series.

By leaning so heavily on Crosby and Malkin the Pens are setting themselves up for a repeat of the 2008 SCF.  In that series Malkin completely disappeared and the Pens found scant scoring chances, eventually falling to the Red Wings.   As defenses tighten during the playoffs it becomes somewhat easier for coaches to focus the majority of their defensive effort on a couple of players.  With the Pens relying so heavily on a couple of players for offensive output it becomes clear who will face the best defenders.  Role players must show that they are scoring threats or the Pens will likely find fewer and fewer scoring chances in the future.

Barring a total collapse the Pens will make the playoffs this year.  If they don’t move anywhere in the standings they will enter as the fourth seed, meaning they could possibly only have one series with home-ice advantage.  Without the last change that means the Pens will have to really work at getting better matchups for scoring opportunities, essentially forcing the Pens to be much more passive in their line changes and giving their opponents the chance to be much more aggressive.  That is not a style of play any coach or player envies.

Brendan was a bright young man with a bright future, studying law while carving out his own career in hockey. He was following in the footsteps of his father while at the same time, blazing his own trail. In the often often homophobic world of professional hockey, Brendan Burke was able to tell his family, his colleagues, and then the world, that he was gay. And it didn’t matter. The support Brendan received from his family, his friends and the hockey community was tremendous.

When most people think of Brian Burke, they see a larger than life character, a tough man’s man that doesn’t mince words and craves the spotlight. In the largest hockey market in the world, Brian has quickly become a lightning rod of controversy as he attempts to rebuild this illustrious franchise. What most fans don’t see, is that Brian Burke is also a committed father and a family man, first and foremost.

I could not even begin to imagine what it feels like to go through the loss of one of your children. I don’t even have children of my own yet but I’m sure those of you that do are reminded of how quickly things can change, and how precious every moment is. It is events such as this that can quickly change your perspective and make you realize what is important in life.

Over the past few days my thoughts have drifted between mourning for Brian and wondering about the Leafs, the US Olympic team, the trade deadline, Tomas Kaberle, and a host of other thoughts that all center around Brian’s return to his post. I can’t help it, I’m a hockey fan. And I’m sure other fans out there in Leaf Nation have thought the same things. The show must go on.

When I do think these thoughts, I am reminded that Brian Burke has made a lot of friends in the business. The number of mourners at Brendan’s funeral can attest to that. I am reminded that Brian has surrounded himself with those he can trust, and that he has left his affairs in very capable hands. Brian is exactly where he needs to be right now, and Leaf Nation will welcome him back and support him, when he is ready. We at least owe him that.

Rest in Peace Brendan

So no one was feeling very positive when the team left for Montreal to play the Habs on Feb. 7th. After all, the last time the two teams played there was for the glorious 100th celebration of Les Canadiens de Montreal where the Habs promptly beat up their hapless birthday guests, 5-1.

But sometimes strange things happen. And it was very strange yesterday afternoon indeed because the Bruins ended up not only winning but also getting a shut out, 3-0. Tuuka Rask, the young Finnish goalie, finished off the Habs in spectacular fashion, stopping everything thrown at him, including a wild second period where the Bs were outshot, 15-3. Adam McQuaid, the young defenseman sent up from the baby Bs in Providence to help out the ailing blue line, scored first, getting his first ever NHL goal. (How fantastic is that – to not only get your first goal but have it be the winning goal against the Canadiens in Montreal?) Marco Sturm also potted two against Montreal’s Jaroslav Halak. .

Even stranger, the Bs Blake Wheeler had a sort of fight against Ryan O’Byrne. Strange days indeed.

Elsewhere in the NHL Washington is dominating as they ride a 14 game win streak, including delivering a big whooping to their archrivals Pittsburgh on Feb. 7th , 5-4. Super Sunday indeed. Alexander Ovechkin is certainly doing his very best to make sure he is considered the premier player in the NHL.

Although he wasn’t the first star in that particular game, there is no doubt Sidney Crosby is certainly worthy of every accolade sent his way. For fans who have witnessed greatness over the years – Bobby Orr, Wayne Gretzky, and Mario Lemieux among others – Crosby is certainly on the fast track to join that exalted club.

In the most recent Sports Illustrated (the Feb. 8th issue now on newsstands) there is a great article about Crosby by S.L. Price. I had heard of many of Crosby’s accomplishments as a young player before, of course, but what I didn’t know about was the extent of jealously that he had to put up with from not only players but adults too in his earlier years. In the article Price tells of how young Sidney couldn’t even wear his game jersey in the stands while waiting for his game to start because parents, (parents!) would routinely insult him and berate him on a regular basis.

As a mother of two 13 year old boys, I have often seen bad behavior from other parents and coaches at youth sporting events. But never anything like what Crosby and his family had to go through. Of course, extraordinary athletes such as Crosby only come along a few times in a lifetime. It’s sad and pathetic that some people have to let their envy get the better of them. I mean, really how good can you feel about yourself if you are putting down a child or teen?

Speaking of sons, it was a tragic week for the family of the Toronto Maple Leaf’s General Manager Brian Burke. His 21 year old son, Brendan, a student and manager for the hockey team at University of Miami Ohio, was killed after losing control of his vehicle in a snow storm in Illinois. Brendan’s passenger, Mark Reedy, was also killed as well.

A few months ago Brendan had made the courageous decision to tell his family and then his contemporaries at school that he was gay.

Hockey is many things, including probably being one of the most macho of sports. As a GM, Brian Burke is a prime example of a tough, hard-ass executive. In a wonderful piece on ESPN.com John Buccigross wrote of how Brendan had recently told his father this secret he had been holding onto for so long. Although surprised, the elder Burke showed nothing but complete love and respect for his son, just as he had always done before. He not only spoke of his son’s courage and willingness to put himself in the forefront of this cause but also accompanied Brendan to a gay pride parade that was held in Toronto.

In a perfect world, every parent would totally support their child in this way. But we all know though that too often that is not the case. Burke as much said that, too, of his son’s decision.

“I wish this burden would fall on someone else’s shoulders, not Brendan’s. Pioneers are often misunderstood and mistrusted. But since he wishes to blaze this trail, I stand beside him with an axe! I simply could not be more proud of Brendan than I am, and I love him as much as I admire him,” he said in the ESPN article.
Brendan had actually grown up in Massachusetts not too far from the town where I grew up. Family and friends were to gather there this week in that town to celebrate his life and say goodbye.

As I think with sadness of this father’s pain, I can’t help but think that he is comforted at least a little bit by the fact that he knew his son’s secret. More than that, he said it to Brendan and out loud to the world, for all to hear, that it did not matter to him. Brendan was his son, he loved him and was proud of him. No matter what.

Too often words are left unspoken until it’s too late. Mr. Burke at least will not have to live with that kind of guilt or regret. I hope that gives him a sense of peace in the long, sad days ahead.

But did Waddell get enough for his star player? Waddell insisted on getting players that could help his team now. John Oduya has some decent ability on the back end but only has a few seasons of NHL experience. He’ll definitely be an asset for the Thrashers, but with Tobias Enstrom, Pavel Kubina and Zach Bogosian ahead of him, I can’t imagine Oduya will be an impact player for them. Patrice Cormier has been suspended for the remainder of the season after a questionable hit on Mikael Tam in a QMJHL game, and at only 19, will take some time before he makes the team.

The wildcard in the deal undoubtedly becomes Nicklas Bergfors. Drafted 23rd overall in the 2005 NHL draft, Bergfors has the potential to become a solid offensive option on the wing for the Thrashers. He’s got 27 points, good for 5th on the Devils, and should see more ice time in Atlanta with the departure of Kovalchuk. If Bergfors can turn into a 60-70 point guy for the Thrashers you can almost justify this move by Waddell. The Devils’ 1st round pick this year should be in the bottom 10 of a down draft.

So what happened exactly that led to this situation? It seems that Kovalchuk simply wanted out of Atlanta, as they offered him $101 million over 12 years, the second most lucrative contract in NHL history (next to Ovechkin’s) and that wasn’t enough. They offered him $10 million per season for 7 seasons, and that wasn’t enough. Simply put, Atlanta is too small of a market. Kovalchuk stands to make significantly more in merchandising and endorsement revenues by jumping to a big market team, or the allure of the KHL could send him home where he could make tax-free millions.

As many as 8-10 teams were “in” on Kovalchuk earlier this week, until Waddell publicly announced the terms of the contracts that were offered. I believe that in doing so, Waddell may have shot himself in the foot. Waddell refused to let teams negotiate with Kovalchuk’s agent on a contract extension, which, while preventing Waddell from being handcuffed to only a few teams, also meant that his offers weren’t going to be as high. But once the terms of Kovalchuk’s other contract offers were exposed, most NHL teams knew that he would be a rental and that they could not land him for 7, 8 or perhaps even 9 million in the off season.

In the salary cap era, the days of getting a swath of players for a rental are over. NHL GM’s have learned from previous mistakes like the Peter Forsberg and Ryan Smyth deadline deals, and many aren’t willing to put up those kinds of assets in return for short-term help. While there is a chance Kovalchuk re-signs with the Devils, I think if he was willing to turn down that much money in Atlanta, that perhaps New Jersey isn’t big enough for him either. He will definitely test the market and the KHL to explore all of his options, and I would take it to the bank that Kovalchuk makes it to July 1st.

As for the fallout, we can reasonably expect it to be huge. Those teams that were in on Kovalchuk but didn’t get him are going to have to turn to the trade market to find more offensive help. With only a few teams being designated sellers at the moment, the best offensive help available seems to be Toronto’s Alexei Ponikarovsky and Carolina’s Ray Whitney, and the price for each has just gone up. Now that the Devils have added a major piece for their Cup run, you have to imagine that other Eastern Conference contenders like Washington, Pittsburgh, Ottawa and Buffalo are going to start feeling the pressure to add to their squads as well.

Tomas Holmstrom returned Tuesday night and had no problem being inserted into the roster with Justin Abdelkader being sent to Detroit’s AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids. However, with the return of Franzen, Detroit will be roughly $700,000 over the cap and must trim the roster to accommodate the return of “The Mule”. Franzen suffered a torn knee ligament early on in the season and has remained sidelined since.

Following that, should Andreas Lilja’s conditioning stint in the AHL be successful, he too will return to the lineup and bring with him roughly $1.2 million in salary. It was initially thought that Lilja may never again play hockey after sustaining a concussion during a fight with Shea Weber almost one year ago. Lilja, who was a solid stay at home defenseman on the third defensive pairing, was just finding him game and playing the best hockey of his career when he suffered the setback, which prompted almost 11 straight months of post-concussion symptoms, including the inability to be exposed to stress of any kind without inducing migraine headaches. He has recently been symptom free for 14 days and has been cleared to return to conditioning work.

So let’s take a look at who may be moved and who will be remaining in Michigan this season.

Brad May (cap hit: $482,000)
May has fit in well in Detroit as the resident enforcer, though at 38 has seen his best days come and go. It’s been rumored that May would be waived and would ultimately retire instead of playing in the AHL, or would be traded, however I believe another scenario to be true. May will likely be waived and not picked up, and will be sent to Grand Rapids in the AHL until the postseason, where he may be needed depending on the opponent. He provides a valuable physical presence on the 4th line and has never hesitated in defending his teammates. More than that, May is the quintessential locker room good guy, doing various charity work and possessing one of the most team-first attitudes in the game. He is a fine mentor to have lurking behind the scenes in a year where so many young Red Wings are getting their start. Expect May to kick around Detroit until at least the end of the season.

Ville Leino (cap hit: $800,000)
Ville Leino’s career in Detroit thus far has been and going forward will likely be represented by a small few various numbers. 9 and 13-the number of points (nine) that he scored in thirteen games last season when he showed such promise. 7-the number of points he’s scored in 42 games. 10-as in, minus ten, representing his undesirable +/- stat, and the most damning number of all, his salary cap figure of $800,000. Leino has not performed how the Red Wings hoped he would, often not skating hard enough, losing puck battles and overall just not fitting in on the team. Granted any other season they’d likely give him time to develop, which at 26 years old not many teams would, but this season is unlike many others in Wings past and thus they may be forced to part ways. Leino’s cap hit would free up the most cash for the return of Lilja, and despite his performance, in the eyes of some general managers he may still have promise. Look for the Wings to attempt to deal Leino for a late round draft pick, or picks. Should that attempt fail, Leino will likely be waived and won’t return to Detroit.

Jason Williams (cap hit: 1.5 million)
Williams is an unrestricted free agent after this season and the Wings will have to put quite a bit of thought into whether they want to keep him or trade him. He is the most valuable piece of trade bait on this list and with a cap hit of 1.5 million, he would free up almost enough money for Franzen and Lilja’s returns combined. Williams possesses a booming shot from the point and despite playing forward was used on the blueline during powerplays this season. He is also a right handed shooter, which is extremely rare to find in Detroit. He provides extra offense in a season where offense is very much required. However, should Ken Holland and his crew be offered a substantially valuable trade offer, and be satisfied with the offense of Franzen upon return, they may indeed let Williams go and manage for the future. Part of Detroit’s scoring issues have less to do with just plain inability to score and more to do with chemistry, as they haven’t been a full unit since the third game of the season, and their first game back in North America. Williams status will depend on the offers received for him, if any. As of right now it’s likely 60/40, with him staying put/being traded.

Derek Meech (cap hit: $483,000)
Meech has been in and out of the lineup all season, typically replacing an injured Ericsson or an underperforming Lebda. Kyle Quincey was the odd man out in the defensive log jam last season and has shown to be an overall better option than Meech has been, and Wings brass may not want to make the same mistake twice. What is keeping Meech safe in Detroit is the fact he gets paid next to nothing to be a dependable 7th defenseman and isn’t prone to the type of mistakes Lebda often makes, though has less upside, even if by just a small margin. Ken Holland commented that Detroit will not carry 8 defenders on the roster, thus if Lilja returns, either Meech or Lebda will be on the outs. If Lilja cannot return, Meech will remain in Detroit as a 7th defenseman. If not, it’s likely Meech will be waived as he does not have the same level of experience as Brett Lebda. It will also depend on which player with a higher salary goes. The higher the salary in the player departing, such as Williams or Leino, the more likely it is Meech gets shipped out.

Brett Lebda (cap hit: $650,000)
Lebda has not played particularly well this season, often turning over the puck at the most inopportune moments and has not been in good position far too often. Recently however Lebda has picked up his game and has kept it simple, a far cry from earlier in the season when he often tried to do too much on his own, and coughed up too many pucks in his own end. He, like Meech, is likely picking up his play to avoid being traded or waived. It is unlikely Lebda is waived especially with his adequate performances recently, as he has playoff and Stanley Cup final experience, and has spent a fair bit of time in the Wings system. Look for the Wings to either deal him or keep him, as waiving him wouldn’t be worth losing an experienced defenseman. It’s more likely Meech goes if Lilja returns, since if the Wings thought more of Meech, he’d be starting over Lebda.

The following are a short few players rumored or thought to be potentially traded or waived.

Kirk Maltby-He’s not the agitator he once was, however he has shown a tad more swiftness in his game recently. He’s been an important piece to the Detroit puzzle for over a decade and the team will remain loyal to him. He won’t be going anywhere.

Patrick Eaves-Eaves has shown that he is just the type of role-player Detroit needs in the playoffs. He is a relentless hard worker, goes to the corners, goes to the net and does whatever is needed of him. He has provided offense in an otherwise dry period for the Wings. Has a heavy shot and makes up one of the quickest lines in hockey today, with Darren Helm and Kris Draper. Eaves will be staying put.

Drew Miller-Miller’s been possibly the most pleasant surprise outside of Jimmy Howard in Detroit. His penalty killing is top notch, he’s provided offense in the small chances he’s gotten, and has been just the type of gritty energy player many teams thought he was going to be. All it took was a little change of scenery for this young man to find his game. Miller, like Eaves and Maltby, have secured a job in Hockeytown again.