Looking at the last 10 Stanley Cup champions, there are some notable constants throughout.
First, solid goaltending is an absolute must. Every Cup champ has had solid goaltending throughout their cup run. The Flames check that box currently.
The other requirement seems to be one of two things (or both)... either:
1) A fear-of-God top line comprised of elite players (Tampa, Washington, Pittsburgh, Chicago, LA, Boston), or
2) A superstar elite defenseman who generates offense from the blue line, in addition to good scoring depth (St. Louis, LA, Chicago, Pittsburgh)
And that's the box the Flames currently don't check. No elite top line, no elite superstar on the blue line, and not a whole lot of scoring depth. Unfortunately, getting those is infinitely easier said than done. Blowing it up could be one way of getting elite players via the draft, but this year's draft is a giant poop show.
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