NHL: How the Western Conference became a powerhouse
By Mike Majeski
When looking at the list of Stanley Cup champions since the 2004-05 lockout, the first thought that comes to mind is that the NHL has a considerable amount of parity. There hasn’t been a repeat Cup winner in the post-lockout era, and one would have to look back to the 1997 and 1998 Detroit Red Wings to find the last team to repeat. In the past few playoffs we have seen lower seed teams defeat division leaders and go on to win the Stanley Cup. More than half of the teams in the league may be guaranteed a playoff spot, but the race for the final playoff spots is always close. The NHL appears to have figured out how to run a fair and balanced league. However, things may not be as even as they seem.
As you look closer at the Stanley Cup champions, six of the nine teams to win the Cup in the post-lockout era have been Western Conference teams. Four of those Stanley Cups belong to the Chicago Blackhawks and the Los Angeles Kings, the closest thing we have had to a dynasty since the Edmonton Oilers of the 1980s. Much of this is thanks to the ability of teams like the Kings to build a deep prospect pool and also attract high value free agents (some big trade deadline acquisitions have helped the Kings as well). When I say high value, that does not always mean “star player” (more on that later).
When you look at the Western Conference, it is very easy to understand why teams like the Los Angeles Kings, Anaheim Ducks, and even the San Jose Sharks (regular season performance) have dominated both the NHL and the Western Conference: they play in one of the most desirable and wealthiest locations in the United States. It is a lot easier to get a player to sign in Los Angeles than it is in Edmonton or Winnipeg.
The Chicago Blackhawks were in a sorry state prior to the lockout, but have stormed back and have become one of the best franchises in today’s NHL. While the NHL and NBC were feeding us Sid vs Ovi, the Blackhawks were drafting smart and preparing for the rise of Kane and Toews.
Since the 2004-05 lockout, the top five teams at the end of the regular season have been made up of a majority of Western Conference teams a total of six times. In addition, the number one ranked team has been a Western Conference team six times as well. Also, a Western Conference team has gone on to win the Stanley Cup six times. So it isn’t just the regular season or just the playoffs, the Western Conference has been dominant in both.
The most amazing thing about the Western Conference is that all of this has flown under the radar. With the exception of Kane and Toews, there are very few marquee players in the Western Conference. There is a considerable amount of East Coast bias still in the NHL and the networks that cover it. The Winter Classic has never ventured west of Chicago (though Los Angeles finally got an outdoor game with the Stadium Series last season). Sidney Crosby, Steven Stamkos, Alex Ovechkin, Henrik Lundqvist, P.K. Subban: all NHL stars and all in the Eastern Conference.
With the exception of Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, I think the only household name out of the Western Conference is T.J. Oshie, and that is only due to the Sochi Olympics. The NHL likes to market offensive talent, but since the 2004-05 lockout, a Western Conference player has lead the league in points only twice (Henrik Sedin in 2009-10 and Daniel Sedin in 2010-11). [Courtesy of NHL.com]
Instead, we have seen Western Conference teams take a “score by committee” approach, and value strong goaltending and defensive play. They are more well rounded teams that can play at both ends of the ice; that is what wins Stanley Cups and explains why the Western Conference has been so dominant in the post-lockout NHL. Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin may score a lot of goals for their respective teams throughout the season, but we have seen both the Penguins and Capitals get burned due to a lack of scoring depth.
Most have the Los Angeles Kings or the Chicago Blackhawks returning to the Stanley Cup Final in 2015. With the Blackhawks signing Brad Richards to a one-year contract, they have made it clear that they are going all-in on this season, before the cap space issues from the Kane and Toews mega-deals tear the core of the team apart.
There really isn’t a consensus pick in the Eastern Conference; perhaps the Penguins will be able to come out of their offseason overhaul as a better team, and the Rangers are likely to be back in the playoffs. However, there isn’t a confident pick in the East like there is with the Kings and Blackhawks in the West.