In this week's edition of "On the Fly," we're Stanley Cup dreaming. Below are four guys still playing this spring who we'd love to see raise the prettiest trophy in professional sports.
P.K. Subban
Navin Vaswani: Imagine, for a minute, the following: P.K. Subban's Nashville Predators win the Stanley Cup over the Canadiens, in Game 7, on the road in Montreal. Hell, in overtime, too, why not. With Subban scoring the winner.
That's not going to happen (thanks for nothing, Montreal), but it sure would be nice if the NHL's most passionate player, the guy who looks like he's having the most fun out there - which is exactly what he should be doing - won the Stanley Cup. (And just think what it would do to Habs supporters!)
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
Subban lives for the game. You can tell by watching him. It's his passion, his love, his life, and while hockey is certainly unfair, there would be something excruciatingly cruel about Subban not winning the Stanley Cup. He must. He better.
There's an NHL promo spot getting TV airtime this postseason that features a number of players - active and retired - talking about the Stanley Cup. Some, like Jonathan Toews, Hall of Famer Bryan Trottier, and Sidney Crosby, talk about winning it, and what it meant to them when they did, while others, like Alex Ovechkin, talk about wanting to win it, and needing to win it. Subban's in it, too.
"The Stanley Cup means everything," he says.
And I believe him.
Henrik Lundqvist
Craig Hagerman: All rise. "The King" has entered.
Henrik Lundqvist is back in the second round of the playoffs and this time he's going all the way - or at least he finally deserves to.
Now in his 12th season, the closest he came to capturing Lord Stanley was back in 2014, when his New York Rangers lost the Cup final to the Los Angeles Kings in five games.
It's unfortunate Lundqvist hasn't been able to capture hockey's holy grail, considering he's been arguably the most consistent goalie in the NHL since he made his debut in 2005.
(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)
Lundqvist is the only goalie in NHL history to post 30 wins in each of his first seven seasons, the only goalie to post 30 wins in every full season he has played, and the first goalie to record 11 straight 20-win campaigns to begin his career.
He's been nominated for the Vezina five times, won it once, and was named the Rangers' MVP every year from 2007 to 2013.
Lundqvist is a proven winner, an Olympic champion, and there's only one thing missing from his resume.
Erik Karlsson
Cory Wilkins: Erik Karlsson quieted his critics this season, excelling in both ends of the ice after years of racking up points in the offensive zone.
Putting together an 82-point campaign a year ago, Karlsson's numbers were in a similar echelon this season as he finished with 71 points. The big jump, however, came behind his own blue line, where the Ottawa Senators defenseman was second to only Kris Russell in blocked shots. His goaltenders thank him.
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
That performance has Karlsson nominated for his fourth Norris Trophy. No doubt he'd be thrilled with another win, but leading the Senators to the Stanley Cup would be far more meaningful.
A Stanley Cup would be a first for Karlsson, and he'd be just the third European to captain his team to a championship after fellow Swede Nicklas Lidstrom was the first to do so in 2008. It'd also mark the first Stanley Cup parade in the Great White North since the Montreal Canadiens won it all in 1993. For Karlsson, the best for the best.
Alex Ovechkin
Josh Gold-Smith: There's little debate over what Alex Ovechkin's legacy is, and what it likely will be. He's already the greatest Russian scorer of all time, and - if he can keep producing while staying healthy for five or six more seasons - he has a shot at 700 goals, a feat only seven players in NHL history have accomplished.
(Photo courtesy: Action Images)
He's won the Hart Trophy three times, and he's a six-time Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy recipient. He's won the Calder, the Art Ross, and appeared in a slew of All-Star games. But there's still something missing from Ovechkin's trophy case.
Winning the Stanley Cup is a team accomplishment, so the fact Ovechkin hasn't hoisted it yet shouldn't diminish his terrific career, nor should it disqualify him from induction into the Hall of Fame.
But given how many times his Washington Capitals have come up short in the playoffs, watching him exorcise those demons by lifting Lord Stanley's mug would be truly satisfying.
Ovechkin is one of the most prolific, durable, and likable players in the NHL, and few others deserve the chance to win a championship more than he does.
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