Which NHL Players Are Most Deserving of a Stanley Cup Win?
As the Florida Panthers celebrated their Stanley Cup victory after winning Game 7 of last year’s Final, it was a moment of triumph for many players experiencing the joy of lifting the Cup for the first time. Among them was Kyle Okposo, who had contemplated retirement but decided to give it one more shot with the Panthers. “I almost retired, and they’re a big reason why I didn’t,” Okposo said of his teammates. “I wanted to have one more crack at it, and I just wanted to put myself in the best position to do this.”
After 17 seasons, 1,051 regular-season games, and 41 more in the postseason, the 37-year-old Okposo finally achieved his NHL dream. As the Panthers pushed for the championship, Okposo became the playoffs’ quintessential “Old Guy Without a Cup,” a player fans rallied around. But simply having a long career doesn’t always mean a player is worthy of the Stanley Cup. There are other factors to consider, such as past postseason performances and how close they’ve come to winning the Cup.
To evaluate this, we use the Cup Worthiness Ratings (CWR), which aim to identify the veteran and in-their-prime players most deserving of raising the Stanley Cup. We started by looking at active skaters whose teams are still in the playoffs and who have played the most regular-season games without winning the Cup, with 850 games as the cutoff. There were 21 players at the start, and we reverse-ranked them to award points. For example, Ryan Suter played the most games (1,526) without winning a Cup, so he received 21 points.
We also considered career playoff games and playoff points, adding the number of years they’ve been in the league to that score, which also served as a tiebreaker. Additionally, we factored in how close a player has come to winning the Cup. If a player reached the conference final, they received five points for each appearance. Reaching the Stanley Cup Final added 10 points. Being traded by an eventual Cup-winning team within two seasons was worth five points.
Prestige also plays a role in our rankings. There’s more pressure on star players to complete their “legacy” with a championship. Players like Alex Ovechkin and Nathan MacKinnon faced this pressure before winning their Cups. Connor McDavid is now experiencing this expectation. To account for this, we added five points to the score if a player ever won an NHL award, marking them as a star. We also gave 10 points to any player who won the Conn Smythe for playoff MVP in a losing effort in the Stanley Cup Final.
With that, here are the top 10 most deserving veteran players (minimum 850 games) still in the 2025 postseason based on their CWR:
- 10. Matt Duchene, Dallas Stars
Age: 34
Cup Worthiness Rating: 53
Duchene has been a point-per-game player and has seen playoff action with several teams, including the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars. However, his lack of postseason action (56 games) and only one trip to the conference finals last year with Dallas keep him lower in the rankings. - 9. John Tavares, Toronto Maple Leafs
Age: 34
Cup Worthiness Rating: 57
Tavares’ decision to leave the New York Islanders for Toronto in 2018 is still debated, especially since the Islanders made deep playoff runs after his departure. Tavares has played the fifth-most games among those in this ranking over a 16-year NHL career. - 8. Adam Henrique, Edmonton Oilers
Age: 35
Cup Worthiness Rating: 70
Henrique had a memorable postseason moment in 2012, scoring an overtime goal to send the New Jersey Devils to the Stanley Cup Final. Despite 993 regular-season games, Henrique is still waiting for his name to be etched on the Cup. - 7. Charlie Coyle, Colorado Avalanche
Age: 33
Cup Worthiness Rating: 72
Coyle has played 950 regular-season games and was part of the Boston Bruins’ run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2019. He ranks fourth among players on this list in playoff games played with the Bruins. - 6. Evander Kane, Edmonton Oilers
Age: 33
Cup Worthiness Rating: 72
Kane has played 930 regular-season games over 15 seasons and has been close to the Cup multiple times, including three trips to the conference finals and a Stanley Cup Final appearance with Edmonton last season. - 5. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Edmonton Oilers
Age: 32
Cup Worthiness Rating: 75
Nugent-Hopkins, an Edmonton lifer, has been a key player as the Oilers have become championship contenders. With 959 games played, he’s a fan favorite and a deserving candidate to lift the Cup. - 4. Max Pacioretty, Toronto Maple Leafs
Age: 36
Cup Worthiness Rating: 78
Pacioretty has played 939 regular-season games over 17 seasons, with three trips to the conference finals. He also earned bonus points for being traded away before his team won a championship. - 3. Ryan Suter, St. Louis Blues
Age: 40
Cup Worthiness Rating: 83
Suter is the active leader in games played (1,526) but hasn’t had much playoff success. Despite this, he has played more postseason games than anyone else on this ranking and made two trips to the conference finals with Dallas. - 2. Jamie Benn, Dallas Stars
Age: 35
Cup Worthiness Rating: 102
Benn, the Stars captain, is known for his physicality and leadership. With 1,192 regular-season games and 107 playoff games, he’s been a key player in Dallas’s playoff runs, including a Stanley Cup Final appearance. - 1. Brent Burns, Carolina Hurricanes
Age: 40
Cup Worthiness Rating: 110
Burns is a unique player with 21 seasons under his belt. He’s the current leader among active defensemen in points and has been to the conference finals three times. If he wins the Cup, it’ll be a dream come true for the hockey world.
These are the veteran players looking to lift the Cup for the first time. But what about those in their prime who have yet to skate with Stanley? Here are the top five players who are active in the playoffs, have appeared in under 850 career regular-season games, and are seeking their first Cup win:
- 5. Tomas Hertl, Vegas Golden Knights
Age: 31
Cup Worthiness Rating: 51
Hertl has played 791 games, mostly with the San Jose Sharks, and has made two conference finals and a Stanley Cup Final appearance. - 4. Miro Heiskanen, Dallas Stars
Age: 25
Cup Worthiness Rating: 53
Heiskanen has benefited from deep playoff runs with Dallas, making the conference finals three times and the Stanley Cup Final in 2020. - 3. Nate Schmidt, Florida Panthers
Age: 34
Cup Worthiness Rating: 58
Schmidt has played 741 regular-season games and has experienced playoff heartbreak, including being traded by teams that later won the Cup. - 2. Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers
Age: 29
Cup Worthiness Rating: 66
Draisaitl is a playoff performer with 44 postseason goals and has been a key player for the Oilers, earning a Hart Trophy and making a Stanley Cup Final appearance. - 1. Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers
Age: 28
Cup Worthiness Rating: 74
McDavid is considered the best hockey player in the world but is still seeking his first Cup. With multiple scoring titles and MVP awards, he’s the best of the best and deserves to lift the Cup.
We’ve covered the veteran skaters and the younger skaters. But there’s another position on the ice with Cup-worthy competitors: the goalies. Here’s a short list of the highest-rated goalies in CWR who are still active:
- 3. Frederik Andersen, Carolina Hurricanes
Age: 35
Cup Worthiness Rating: 21
Andersen has endured multiple playoff runs with the Leafs and has played through various ailments, making him a deserving candidate for the Cup. - 2. Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets
Age: 35
Cup Worthiness Rating: 25
Despite playoff struggles, Hellebuyck has 21 wins in 50 playoff games and is fifth among active goalies in games played. - 1. Jake Oettinger, Dallas Stars
Age: 26
Cup Worthiness Rating: 31
Oettinger is younger and less experienced but has been close to winning the Cup, making him a worthy candidate.
Originally Written by: Greg Wyshynski
