Top 5 Active Players Without a Cup Ring

This list isn’t solely based on talent; it’s a combination of things – NHL experience, playoff failure(s), consistent success and, ok, talent. One catch: the players listed below all have played five or more years in the league. You could say that this list should read ‘Top 5 playoff chokers’, but nevertheless…

1. Alex Ovechkin

This is the obvious choice. The most prolific and dynamic offensive player in the NHL has yet to lift Lord Stanley, and that has to be irritating Mr. Ovechkin right about now. In five-plus seasons, Ovie has 544 points and a shelf full of hardware. Since Sidney Crosby has a Cup and Gold Medal already on his resume, you can bet Ovechkin is desperate to get a hold of that Holy Grail.

Ovechkin, 25, still has plenty of time to win the Cup (unlike some others on this list). Even though he has hid his fair share of playoff failures early on in his career, it’s only a matter of time before the Capitals break loose and go all the way.

2. Joe Thornton

Ah, Joe Thornton… perhaps the most criticized playoff participant since the lockout? In recent years, I felt Evgeni Nabokov deserve the bulk of the blame for the Sharks’ playoff exits (if it were pinned on one player); but Thornton’s inconsistencies cannot go unnoticed. When they win, he’s great; when they lose, he’s awful… simple as that. Will the ‘C’ on his chest make a difference when April 2011 rolls around?

No one can deny what Thornton has done since arriving in San Jose following the lockout. In 393 games wearing the teal and black, ‘Jumbo Joe’ has 492 points and a Hart Trophy to his record.  Now he just has to win when it counts.

3. Ilya Kovalchuk

The $100 million man has yet to win a Cup ring. Hell, he hasn’t even won a playoff series! Since he landed in New Jersey, the Devils haven’t won more than two games in a row with him in the lineup (19-24-6 overall, incl. playoffs). In Atlanta, Kovalchuk put up ridiculous numbers, scoring the most goals in the NHL from 2003 through last year. He is by far one of the more talented goal-scorers in the league.

At some point in the next 15 years, Martin Brodeur will be calling it quits and there’s no telling if Zach Parise will be a ‘Devil for life’ or not. So, between now and then, this will become Kovalchuk’s team – a player that has a 1-8 playoff record. Can he lead the Devils to the Promised Land?

4. Jarome Iginla

I don’t think there’s a player on the list I want to see win the Cup more than I do with Iginla. He has always been a consummate pro and a great captain for the Flames organization. Iginla has been one of the most consistent goal-scorers in the last decade, putting together nine consecutive 30-goal seasons and notching 50 twice; and when did he do so with a true top-line center?

Iginla has gotten out of the first round just once – back in 2004 when the Flames made their unexpected run to the final; he (and Kiprusoff) was their catalyst that spring. His time may be running out, though, as he is now 33 and Calgary isn’t close to being a Cup contender at the moment.

5. Daniel Alfredsson
Like Iginla in Calgary, Alfredsson has been the face of the Senators franchise for as long as I can remember. The 15-year veteran has played in 107 playoff games without lifting Lord Stanley. The closest he’s gotten was in 2007 when Ottawa made their first appearance in the final, but lost in five to the Ducks. They’ve had numerous great teams in the past that couldn’t get it done in the postseason.

Alfredsson, 37, has had a few injuries here and there throughout his career, but has over 1,000 points and games played. Has the window closed on Ottawa’s current core to win the Cup? If so, would Alfie play elsewhere to get that ring? I am hard-pressed to picture him in any other uniform.

Honorable Mention: Zdeno Chara, Henrik Lundqvist, Roberto Luongo, Ryan Miller, Sedin Twins
Notable veterans nearing the end: Andrew Brunette, Paul Kariya, Saku Koivu, Ryan Smyth, Marty Turco

Photos credit: Getty Images