Quoting: TeddyLovesTheJets
Hellebuyck isn’t a franchise player? And if Connor hadn’t been injured he would’ve been in the top 5 in goals this year
correct Hellebuyck is not a franchise player.
Connor is also not a franchise player. Hell he's 27, he's peaked as a player by all general stat theories on age and player peek performance. He's not even a ppg player.
Lets not pretend he's on the level of the McDavid, MacKinnon, Panarin, Kucherovs of the league.
He's just not. He's not taking a game over and carrying a team.
7 of the last 10 cup champs had a legit Franchise player forward, some would say vegas and Eichel played at a franchise level last year, which would make it 8. I don't lean that way, but I do lean that vegas is incredibly deep with really talented players, enough so that it makes up for it. WPG is not. They are like DAL, they are kind of deep but no real star power. Because of that they can't win. Hard work just doesn't beat talent and hard work. Statistically you are just at a real disadvantage and the facts of history show this.
If WPG doesn't get a franchise player their odds of winning a cup are very diminished. As is every other team without one.