Originally Posted by SuperMatt18
Making the playoffs is never inherently bad, it's always better to get in the playoffs vs. not.
The issue is less about the one off results when you look at a single season, but when you look at the results of teams over the longer course of multiple years. The goal should never be "Just make the playoffs", the goal should be "win the cup", and generally the way to win a cup is to consistently be a top 10 team over the course of 3+ years.
The problem is if you build a roster that has a "top end" of "just make the playoffs", instead of trying to build a top 5 team then you're unlikely to win a cup - even if you do make a Cinderella run one year.
If I broke the finalists into groups I'd say:
True Cinderella Team: 2006-Edmonton, 2010-Philadelphia, 2017: Predators 2021: Canadians
4/36 finalists, 0/18 Cups - these teams were the runs that "just got in" and hadn't really been built as a team that had consistent top 10 finishes in the years prior or after the cup run. Limited sustained success with that roster before or after the run (Even Philly and Nashville might be borderline here).
Good Team caught in below average season: 2012: Kings, 2014: Rangers, 2016: Sharks, 2019: Blues, 2023: Panthers
These teams all had top 10 league finishes for multiple years in either the years directly before, or directly after their cup runs. Good teams that had a history of some success even if not in the middle of a great season.
5/36 Finalists, 2/18 Cup wins
Mediocre Teams that were in the middle of a uncharacteristically good season: 2006: Carolina (missed the playoffs the 2 years prior, and 2 years after); 2012: Devils (missed the playoffs the season prior, and 5 seasons after),
2/36 Finalists, 1/18 cup winners
Teams that were consistently 10 teams: 2007: Ducks, 2008:Wings / Penguins, 2009: Wings/Penguins, 2010: Blackhawks, 2011: Canucks/Bruins, 2013: Blackhawks/Bruins, 2014: Kings/Rangers, 2015: Blackhawks/Lightning 2016: Penguins, 2017: Penguins, 2018: Capitals/Knights, 2019: Bruins, 2020: Lightning/Stars, 2021: Lightning, 2022: Avs/Lightning, 2023: Knights
25/36 Finalists
15/18 Cup Winners
The goal needs to be a team that can consistent finish in the top 10 of the league / top 2-3 of your own division for a 3+ year stretch. Only if you have that consistent success will you have the best chance to actually win a cup.
The Flames built a team that in good years were top 10 teams but didn't do it consistently enough to ever truly be seen in that true contender group that tends to win cups.
And in the end making the playoffs isn't the problem - the problem is if your entire strategy is "just make the playoff" or if you change your entire long term strategy to "just make the playoffs".
Your strategy needs to be "What decisions will consistently make me a top 10 team" and if that means maybe you trade some UFAs even if you have a chance to finish 16th and make the playoffs then you should trade those UFAS.
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