Fansided

Every NHL team’s best active player still searching for a Stanley Cup win

By Kyle McKenna

SAN JOSE, CA - MARCH 19: Joe Thornton #19 of the San Jose Sharks spots the puck in front of the net of the New York Rangers during a NHL game at the SAP Center at San Jose on March 19, 2016 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Nick Lust/NHLI via Getty Images)
SAN JOSE, CA - MARCH 19: Joe Thornton #19 of the San Jose Sharks spots the puck in front of the net of the New York Rangers during a NHL game at the SAP Center at San Jose on March 19, 2016 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Nick Lust/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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Arizona Coyotes

While the Arizona Coyotes have never won a Stanley Cup, that doesn’t mean that the ‘Yotes don’t have skaters that are worthy to make this list. It’s hard to believe how fast time has gone by, but Oliver Ekman-Larsson has been a member of the Desert’s NHL team since 2010-11.

The former first-round draft pick (sixth overall in 2009), is the Coyotes’ top skater that is still searching for a Stanley Cup ring. The Swedish native has been one of the league’s more dynamic and exciting defenseman to watch over the years, and perhaps his name gets lost in the pile of other star-caliber blue liners since Arizona hasn’t been able to produce a consistent playoff contender since the early 2000’s.

Still, the 27-year-old is still maturing and blossoming as a top NHL defenseman, and if Ekman-Larsson doesn’t end up ever winning a Cup, he’ll more than likely win a Vezina Trophy before it’s all said and done. Considering that the 6-foot-2, 200 pounder recently signed a long-term contract worth the Coyotes, he’ll eventually go down as one of Arizona’s best players in team history.

In 576 career regular-season games, Ekman-Larsson has recorded 290 points (102 goals, 188 assists), and the two-time all-star is at least good for a handful of power-play goals per season.

Still, Ekman-Larsson has only appeared in the Stanley Cup Playoffs once (2011-12), when the Coyotes had a Cinderella Story run to the Western Conference Finals only to lose to the Los Angeles Kings.

No. 23 is one of the league’s more notable names that have yet to even appear in a Stanley Cup Final.

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