With the Washington Capitals defeating the Vegas Golden Knights in five games to win their first Stanley Cup title, elite forwards Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom have finally won their long-awaited NHL championship.
Taking past production, career longevity, elite standing at respective positions, postseason success and previous trips to the Stanley Cup Final in mind, NHL.com identifies the top 10 active NHL players yet to win the Stanley Cup.
NOTE: Players entering at least their 10th NHL season in 2018-19 have been included on this list. Players such as Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews, Patrik Laine, Nathan MacKinnon, Nikita Kucherov and Taylor Hall have been excluded from this list in favor of players with more experience.
1. Henrik Lundqvist, G, NYR
Entering 14th NHL season in 2018-19
Stanley Cup Final appearance: 2014
The New York Rangers goaltender has at least 30 wins in 11 of his 12 full NHL regular seasons and won the Vezina Trophy in 2011-12. Lundqvist has 431 wins, second among active goalies behind Florida Panthers goalie Roberto Luongo (471). He has played 128 career Stanley Cup Playoff games, going 61-65 with a .922 save percentage and 10 shutouts, second among active goalies behind Vegas Golden Knights goalie Marc-Andre Fleury (14). Lundqvist helped New York reach the Stanley Cup Final in 2014, losing to the Los Angeles Kings in five games.
2. Joe Thornton, C, SJS
Entering 21st NHL season in 2018-19
Stanley Cup Final appearance: 2016
NOTE: Pending unrestricted free agent
The San Jose Sharks center has 1,427 points (397 goals, 1,030 assists) in 1,493 regular-season games, the most among active NHL players and 16th in League history. He ranks first among active NHL players with 517 power-play points. Thornton has 123 points (27 goals, 96 assists) in 160 NHL playoff games and helped the Sharks to their first Cup Final appearance in 2016, when they lost to the Pittsburgh Penguins in six games. He won the Hart and Art Ross trophies in 2005-06 after the Sharks made an in-season trade to acquire him from the Boston Bruins.
3. Steven Stamkos, C, TBL
Entering 11th NHL season in 2018-19
Stanley Cup Final appearance: 2015
The Tampa Bay Lightning forward has 668 points (348 goals, 320 assists) in 664 regular-season games. His 0.52 goals per game are second among active NHL players who have played at least 200 games, behind Ovechkin (0.61). The Lightning captain won the Maurice Richard Trophy in 2009-10 (51 goals) and 2011-12 (60). After missing most of last season with a knee injury, Stamkos bounced back for 86 points (27 goals, 59 assists) in 78 games and helped the Lightning to the Eastern Conference Final, when they lost to the Washington Capitals in seven games. Stamkos has 51 points (22 goals, 29 assists) in 66 NHL playoff games and helped Tampa Bay reach the 2015 Cup Final, when it lost to the Chicago Blackhawks in six games.
4. Erik Karlsson, D, OTT
Entering 10th NHL season in 2018-19
No Stanley Cup Final appearances
NOTE: Can be unrestricted free agent in 2019
The Ottawa Senators captain has 518 points (126 goals, 392 assists) in 627 regular-season games and leads active NHL defensemen in career points per game (0.83). He won the Norris Trophy in 2011-12 and 2014-15, and had an NHL career-high 82 points (16 goals, 66 assists) in 82 games in 2015-16. He has 37 points (six goals, 31 assists) in 48 NHL playoff games and helped the Senators to the 2017 Eastern Conference Final, when they lost to the Penguins in seven games.
5. Carey Price, G, MTL
Entering 12th NHL season in 2018-19
No Stanley Cup Final appearances
The Montreal Canadiens goaltender is 286-201-62 with a .918 save percentage and 40 shutouts in 558 regular-season games. He won the Hart and Vezina trophies in 2014-15, going 44-16-6 with a .933 save percentage and nine shutouts. Price is 25-31 with a .914 save percentage and five shutouts in 60 NHL playoff games. He helped Montreal to the 2014 Eastern Conference Final before sustaining a lower-body injury in Game 1 and missing the remainder of the series; the Rangers defeated the Canadiens in six games. Price also backed up Jaroslav Halak when the Canadiens made the 2010 conference final and lost to the Philadelphia Flyers in five games.
6. Patrick Marleau, LW, TOR
Entering 21st NHL season in 2018-19
Stanley Cup Final appearance: 2016
The Toronto Maple Leafs forward has 1,129 points (535 goals, 594 assists) in 1,575 regular-season games, second most among active NHL players behind Thornton. His goal total is second among active NHL players behind Ovechkin (607), and his 103 game-winning goals rank first. Marleau has the second-longest active consecutive games streak in the NHL (706; hasn't missed game since 2008-09) behind Panthers defenseman Keith Yandle (715) and the eighth longest in League history. Marleau has 125 points (72 goals, 53 assists) in 184 NHL postseason games and helped the Sharks reach the 2016 Cup Final.
7. John Tavares, C, NYI
Entering 10th NHL season in 2018-19
No Stanley Cup Final appearances
NOTE: Pending unrestricted free agent
The New York Islanders captain has 621 points (272 goals, 349 assists) in 669 regular-season games and has exceeded 80 points three times in his NHL career (86 in 2014-15; 84 this season; 81 in 2011-12). He has 22 points (11 goals, 11 assists) in 24 NHL postseason games, with the highlight being his double-overtime game-winning goal against the Panthers in Game 6 of the 2016 first round to give the Islanders their first playoff series win in 23 years.
8. Pekka Rinne, G, NSH
Entering 13th NHL season in 2018-19
Stanley Cup Final appearance: 2017
NOTE: Can be unrestricted free agent in 2019
The Nashville Predators goaltender is 311-168-66 with a .919 save percentage and 51 shutouts in 567 regular-season games, all with Nashville. He has the most wins in Predators history and ranks sixth in the category among active NHL goalies. He has exceeded 40 wins three times in his NHL career (43 in 2011-12; 42 this season; 41 in 2014-15). He has never won the Vezina Trophy but is a finalist for the award this season after going 42-13-4 with a .927 save percentage and eight shutouts in 59 games. He is 43-40 with a .915 save percentage and five shutouts in 83 NHL playoff games, and went 14-8 with a .930 save percentage and two shutouts in 22 games during Nashville's run to the 2017 Stanley Cup Final, when the Predators lost to the Penguins in six games.
9. P.K. Subban, D, NSH
Entering 10th NHL season in 2018-19
Stanley Cup Final appearance: 2017
The Predators defenseman has 377 points (89 goals, 288 assists) in 582 regular-season games. He won the Norris Trophy with the Canadiens in 2012-13 (48-game shortened season), when he had 38 points (11 goals, 27 assists) in 42 games, and is a finalist for the award this season after he had 59 points (16 goals, 43 assists) in 82 games. He has 59 points (17 goals, 42 assists) in 90 NHL playoff games and helped the Predators reach the Cup Final last season.
10. Claude Giroux, C/LW, PHI
Entering 12th NHL season in 2018-19
Stanley Cup Final appearance: 2010
The Flyers forward has 677 points (214 goals, 463 assists) in 738 regular-season games, including the second-most points in the NHL since 2010-11 (603) behind Penguins center Sidney Crosby (610). Giroux had an NHL career-high 102 points (34 goals, 68 assists) in 82 games this season to finish second in the League in scoring behind Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (108). Giroux has 65 points (24 goals, 41 assists) in 69 NHL playoff games and helped the Flyers reach the Cup Final in 2010, when they lost to the Blackhawks in six games.
Honorable mention: Ilya Kovalchuk, LW/RW, N/A
Entering 12th NHL season in 2018-19
Stanley Cup Final appearance: 2012
Note: Pending unrestricted free agent
The 35-year-old forward has played the past five seasons in the Kontinental Hockey League and is eligible to return to the NHL on July 1. Kovalchuk has never won the Stanley Cup but is technically not an active NHL player until he signs a new contract. That said, he's one of the most accomplished players to never win an NHL championship, with 816 points (417 goals, 399 assists) in 816 regular-season games for the New Jersey Devils and Atlanta Thrashers. He has 27 points (11 goals, 16 assists) in 32 NHL playoff games, including a trip to the Cup Final with the Devils in 2012.
Other notable players without Stanley Cup title: Logan Couture, C, SJS (entering 10th NHL season; can be UFA in 2019); Ryan Kesler, C, ANA (entering 15th); Roberto Luongo, G, FLA (entering 19th); Ryan Miller, G, ANA (entering 16th; potential 2019 UFA); Rick Nash, LW/RW, BOS (entering 16th; pending UFA); Max Pacioretty, LW, MTL (entering 11th; can be UFA in 2019); Zach Parise, LW, MIN (entering 14th); Joe Pavelski, C/RW, SJS (entering 13th; can be UFA in 2019); Ryan Suter, D, MIN (entering 14th); Blake Wheeler, C/RW, WPG (entering 11th; can be UFA in 2019)
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