This week, The Hockey Writers (THW) had its first “Nucleus Draft” (I participated along with Matthew Zator and Zach Martin). The goal was to draft a Stanley Cup team with one forward, a defenseman, a goaltender, a head coach, and a wild card (a player who could play any position). Check out the entire draft here.
Related: Ranking NHL Teams By Forwards
The big takeaway following the podcast was that a great team — specifically, a great core that can lead a team to a Cup — must check multiple boxes. I assembled a team that had Auston Matthews and Matthew Tkachuk as the forwards, Cale Makar as the defenseman, Connor Hellebuyck as the goalie, and Paul Maurice as the head coach. The group doesn’t have the most prominent stars in the league but everyone can do everything and it makes this nucleus a pivotal one for a Cup team.
Great Teams Need Scoring
The Toronto Maple Leafs will always be in playoff position because of Matthews. He’s the elite scorer who makes the offense a potent one that has averaged 3.30 goals per game in each of the past six seasons. Matthews reliably finds the back of the net in multiple ways with his shot and finishing ability; it allows the Maple Leafs to pile up the wins in the regular season.
The same is true about Tkachuk. He’s a great scorer who scored 40 goals in 2021-22 and 2022-23 yet he takes it up a notch in the playoffs. He powers his way to the net but also has the quick release needed to put the puck past goaltenders. The Florida Panthers took a risk when they acquired him in a blockbuster trade in the 2022 offseason, sending two elite players to the Calgary Flames in the deal. Yet, the trade has been worthwhile for the Panthers as they have a star who can elevate their offense consistently.
Matthews and Tkachuk are the forwards needed to reach the playoffs and make a playoff run. In this day and age, defensemen must also contribute to the offensive attack. Every team that has won the Stanley Cup in recent seasons had at least one elite two-way defenseman and the 2021-22 Colorado Avalanche was a good case in point for that. Cale Makar would take over games as he’d create turnovers but then set up the offense with speed and skill from the point. Makar was one of those defensemen who could open up the offense in the playoffs and he consistently did that in the 2022 playoff run.
The Ability to Forecheck & Defend
Tkachuk embodies what is needed for a Cup run in part because of his ability to do it all. He can score, with 17 goals and 29 assists in 44 playoff games, but also deliver a big hit and forecheck in the offensive zone. Likewise, Tkachuk will step up on the defensive end of the ice and limit opposing offenses.
Matthews and Makar are in the same category as players who are known for their offense. Yet, their defense often goes unnoticed. Matthews was a Selke Trophy finalist last season as he stepped up at the centre position and played excellent defense. Makar meanwhile is in the Norris Trophy conversation every season and won the award in 2022 because of his defensive ability as he’s had 15.4 defensive point shares in the past three seasons.
The big takeaway for any team building a Cup contender is how important two-way players are. Great teams need to step up defensively and play physical hockey when needed and it starts with the stars on the roster. Matthews doesn’t play the physical game per se but Tkachuk and Makar have proven they can when needed and it’s why they’ve both been on title-winning teams.
The Elite Goaltending Question
In recent seasons, the conversation has shifted with goaltending. There aren’t a lot of elite goaltenders in the NHL and a team that wins the Cup doesn’t need a great option between the pipes. The Avalanche won the Cup in 2022 with Darcy Kuemper as their starter. The Vegas Golden Knights won in 2023 with Adin Hill in the net, a journeyman goaltender who only started 25 games that season.
Great goaltenders won’t carry a team to the Cup but they still help. Connor Hellebuyck is one of those goaltenders who raises the floor of the Winnipeg Jets, a team that isn’t great but is always playoff caliber because of his dominant play in the net. Hellebuyck will carry a team throughout the season and while he can’t lead them to the Cup, he at least puts them in the conversation which is more than most can ask for.
A Coach That Balances Out The Roster
Any great team needs a head coach who can fix a specific unit or an area of weakness on a roster. Paul Maurice was hired by the Panthers after they won the Presidents’ Trophy and did so with a high-flying offense. The problem was they couldn’t win when the games slowed down and they needed the defense to take over. Maurice fixed the defense and in the end, that’s what allowed them to win the Cup.
Kris Knoblauch didn’t lead the Edmonton Oilers to the Cup but he was one win away from doing so. He balanced out the Oilers, making them a structured team that can defend but also dominate in the offensive end. It’s why the team turned their season around after he was hired and looked like the best coach in the Western Conference down the stretch.
The other important element for any great head coach is the buy-in. The Carolina Hurricanes buy into Rod Brind’Amour’s system and win games one shift at a time. The Tampa Bay Lightning bought into Jon Cooper’s style when they won the Stanley Cup in back-to-back seasons. The best coach in the game can have everything mapped out but if the players aren’t on the same page, the team won’t be anywhere near the Cup.
Other Notes on Cup Contenders
The balance between winning now and being successful in the long term is always a fine line. It was something everyone had to juggle during the Nucleus Draft and something a lot of general managers try to work with for their rosters. Every team wants to have a core playing in their prime. The reality is that the prime window is only open for so long and it makes adding younger players to build around more intriguing (in the Nucleus Draft, Seth Jarvis was selected in part because he’s only 22 years old).
Having a top-line center is pivotal for success but so is an elite winger. A lot of teams like to build up the middle but having a great winger who can both play with a number-one center and open up the offense is more valuable. Matthews has Mitch Marner on his line while Nathan MacKinnon has Mikko Rantanen. The great teams have a great center but also a skater who complements the center’s skills.
