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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MOSCOW, RUSSIA – JANUARY 9, 2018: CSKA Moscow’s Sergei Shumakov celebrates scoring in a 2017/18 KHL Regular Season ice hockey match against Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg at the CSKA Ice Palace. HC CSKA Moscow won 4-3. Anton Novoderezhkin/TASS (Photo by Anton NovoderezhkinTASS via Getty Images)
MOSCOW, RUSSIA – JANUARY 9, 2018: CSKA Moscow’s Sergei Shumakov celebrates scoring in a 2017/18 KHL Regular Season ice hockey match against Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg at the CSKA Ice Palace. HC CSKA Moscow won 4-3. Anton Novoderezhkin/TASS (Photo by Anton NovoderezhkinTASS via Getty Images) /

Washington Capitals

The Washington Capitals are a tricky case for this list, considering that the Caps finally won a Stanley Cup last season. Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Braden Holtby and others erased the idea of having their names make this list after the superstars raised Lord Stanley in Sin City one hot June night.

That leaves the Capitals best player that’s still searching for a Stanley Cup with the likes of newly acquired forward, Sergei Shumakov.

The 26-year-old signed with the Capitals in late August and to a one-year contract, worth $925,000. Shumakov and Evgeny Kuznetsov were teammates together on Belye Medvedi Chelyabinsk back in 2009-10, and the two Russian natives could team up on Washington’s special teams as a dynamic duo.

The 6-foot-0 skater was a member of CSKA Moscow last season, and Shumakov recorded 17 goals and tallied 23 assists for 40 points in 47 games. His 40 points were tied for first and his 17 goals were good for second on the team.

His shifty offensive skills should complement the team’s third line, or Shumakov could try and make a case to crack the Capitals’ top six forwards come opening night in October.

Prior to joining CSKA Moscow, Shumakov spent parts of six seasons with Novosibirsk Sibir. As a forward with Novosibirsk, he netted 57 career goals and tallied 48 assists for 105 points.

The Caps are deep and are set to make another haul in the Stanley Cup Playoffs to repeat as champions in 2019 and with the help of Shumakov.

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