Top 10 Best NHL Franchises of All Time

Yeah, it's been a quarter century since our last cup, but who the heck cares? We have the best fanbase in the league (sorry Hawks fans), and if we're referring to the past, hey, 24 cups. And if the future comes up, yeah, no cups but three division titles in five years. And finally, we've got Carey Price.

People always talk about the Pens winning two straight cups twice, and the Hawks winning three in five years. We won five in a row, the all-time record of consecutive Stanley cups won, and don't forget the much harder to pull off 70's dynasty. Montreal is the best team, no doubt. The Hawks fans will decrease after a few bad seasons, but Habs fans will stay however long it takes to see Lord Stanley return to Montreal. Go Habs Go!

Excuse me, but do the eleven cups mean anything to you? Or how about the six Presidents' Trophies, or the winningest season ever, or the four cups in 13 years, or the fourth greatest player of all time, or the second greatest defenseman of all time, or the only coach in the Triple Gold Club? Not to mention, they have more players in the Triple Gold Club than anybody, and the greatest captain of all time. At the very least, they should be ranked number three behind the Canadiens and the Leafs, and not behind a team that hasn't even won a Cup!

Agreed! As far as the Penguins being the best in the modern era, that's debatable. Both teams have three Cups over the last 10 years. It should come down to the average of teams' points over that period, and I believe the Blackhawks have them beat.

Kane, Toews, Keith - forget it! Their list of Hall of Fame players will stretch the length of the Bible! They are without a doubt the best NHL team. Winning three Cups in six years is literally unthinkable. And who did it? The Blackhawks.

The Blackhawks are the best. They have some of the top 10 best NHL players right now. They are even better than the Penguins, the Capitals, and the Canadiens. They are the BEST TEAM EVER!

How are the Pens second to the Blackhawks? The Pittsburgh Penguins are the dominant and most successful franchise of the modern era. Counting back from today, for another team to beat them with the number of cups won, you have to go back before I was even born! Look at their playoff streak. It's twice the size of everyone else's. A bad season for the Pens is a good season for any other side.

There is no debate right now. The Pens are the indisputable leading light of the NHL and will be for a few more years yet.

Not just the premier NHL team of today, but one of the best franchises in hockey. Although the number of championships is fewer than others, no other franchise can boast the number of all-world stars Pittsburgh has deployed. The most popular team in hockey is certainly deserving to be recognized as one of the best. They probably could have been better without all of the injuries they sustained. Lemieux, Jagr, Francis, Barrasso, Pronovost, Crosby, Malkin, and now Fleury - the list goes on. It's hard to root against the Pens, unless you're from Washington or Philadelphia.

The Leafs are my favorite team, and they have been since I was small. Last year, they secured a playoff spot for the first time since 2004. I feel that they're improving and becoming one of the top teams in the East. My most disliked team is the Bruins, which I think many Leafs fans would agree with.

I say only pay attention to Canadian teams. I am not suggesting that every hockey fan in the world should only focus on Canadian teams, but rather that every Canadian hockey fan should focus on the Canadian franchises.

The Oilers should always be remembered for the amazing decade they had in the 80s. As an expansion team, they were able to put a stop to the Islanders dynasty and build one of their own. Never again will a team be put together like that.

They were voted the #1 team in the league and were awarded this honor, so they should be ranked higher. The Oilers have also had some great players, from Gretzky to Anderson, from Messier to Kurri, and from McDavid to Nuge. They shouldn't be this low.

The Oilers won 5 Stanley Cups with some of the greatest players in the 1980s. We probably will never see that magic ever again.

Everyone says that this team has always performed poorly, yet the Canucks have made it to the playoffs four times and nearly won! It's very hard to make it to the playoffs in the NHL. I am an Ontarian, but I've liked the Canucks for a long time. Compared to the Coyotes right now, they're actually excelling.

The Canucks had 117 points this season. How could the pathetic Maple Leafs be ahead? Canucks rock, Leafs are horrible.

Great team, making the playoffs five seasons in a row. Back-to-back Presidents' Trophies and almost won their first cu

How are the Leafs and Bruins ahead of the Rangers? The Rangers have been to the conference final three times in the past four years. Whether you love them or hate them, they're an incredible team. A Rangers Cup is bound to happen in the next five years. I'm willing to bet on it.

The New York Rangers is one of the best hockey teams. Throughout their 90 years in the league, they have become one of the best and have made it to the playoffs almost every time.

The Rangers are a classic team and were the first American team to win the Cup. We also have the coolest logo because it is very simple, which is good.

Canadiens #1? The Bruins are putting up historical numbers as a team this year. Whoever made this list is obviously a Canadiens fan. I'm a Canadiens fan. I hate the Bruins, but there is no denying that they are the best team in the NHL. The Canadiens are having a terrible year this year, almost the worst in the NHL. The Bruins are coming off of a Stanley Cup victory (they beat the Canadiens on the way there) and they look as strong as ever. I don't really understand why people just can't be honest when they vote.

The Bruins are the best team ever! They have had legends like Bobby Orr, they were one of the original six, and who doesn't love them? Don't forget their comeback in the first round of the 2011 playoffs against the Toronto Maple Leafs. They are a great team and will remain the best forever.

My jaw dropped when I saw this answer. How? How could the Sens be below the Leafs? This is just plain embarrassing. What is wrong with you people?

The Sens are the best team ever. Unlike the Maple Leafs, who haven't won a Stanley Cup in about 20 years. At least Ottawa has been to the Cup Finals. Maple Leafs? More like Maple Losers.

I can't believe that the Leafs are number one. They are so bad. It's been 8 years since they made the playoffs. They have probably forgotten what the playoffs are. Ottawa is the best, enough said.

How are the Edmonton Oilers ahead of the Calgary Flames in this list? The Calgary Flames have beaten the Edmonton Oilers more times than the Oilers have beaten the Flames. Additionally, the Calgary Flames have the best hockey player in the world, Johnny Gaudreau!

Honestly, how are the Flames 15th? They should be in the top ten. The only reason they are not that good is because of the lack of experienced players.

They have a good fan base and many potential star athletes, but they are not gaining a lead in anything.

Ok, so they haven't been good in a decade, but they did make it to the finals in 2012, which was the tail end of an approximately 18-year run of absolute domination. They won 3 cups and 25 playoff series. You younger fans might not remember it, but there was a time where it was just assumed that this team was going to make it deep into the playoffs.

Older fans remember how absolutely dominant their trap was with brick walls like Daneyko and Niedermayer, and the freight train that is Scott Stevens, only to be backstopped by arguably the best goalie of all time, Martin Brodeur. You just did not score on these guys.

They are one of the best teams. They make it to the playoffs every single year, and this year they were so close to winning the Stanley Cup.

The name of the team is good, and the logo is fascinating! They almost won the Stanley Cup every year. I love this team.

Amazing team, they work really hard and they have great players. Love this team! Go Sharks!

We all Bleed Blue! The Blues may not have the best chance at winning the cups, but they still have some of the best players around, with one of the best chances at getting into the playoffs and being ranked high in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Look at their first three years. I mean, a rookie team making it into the playoffs every single year like that? A feat no severed Indian head wearer will understand.

The Blues' goal horn is one of the best in the league. It is easily the most diverse and underappreciated goal horn out there. The organs are just that: organs. There is no singing (could be, but there isn't), while the other teams, like the Blackhawks, Panthers, and Stars, all have singing and the most generic goal horn out there. It is amazing when you get those three blasts followed by the Blues supporting organs.

The Players: We have had many greats, including Wayne Gretzky, Brett Hull, and Bernie Federko. Some of the best players (and one that is the best) around. And look at us now, a feared name: Vladimir Tarasenko. We also have the goalie, with a better save percentage than Crawford, Brian Elliott (MOOSE!). Center and Captain, David Backes, Alex Pietrangelo, Jake Allen, and the list continues.

In conclusion, they might not have a cup, but they sure do have a good team. A very underappreciated team, especially for how good they are. (At least we don't have many bandwagoners... *cough* Blackhawks *cough*)

In one year, they have gone from 29th to 30th in the league to being a force to be reckoned with, like they were in the first few seasons after moving to Colorado. Patrick Roy forever!

I really like them. They have young guns, and they might, if they can make it work, be the most dominating NHL team.

How is this not top 5, and the freaking Red Wings, the current worst team in the NHL, are in the top 3? Or the Senators above them. The Senators can't score any goals.

The Islanders are amazing. They should be in the top 5 at least! The Rangers didn't even make it to the second round of the playoffs this year. They should be replacing the Islanders in 20th place!

On the other hand, the Islanders beat an amazing Panthers team in the best of seven series in the first round of the playoffs, so they are advancing to the second round, unlike the Rangers!

The 82-83 New York Islanders team was one of the greatest NHL teams ever to hit the ice. It was a team that reached the pinnacle of one of hockey's greatest dynasties, featuring future Hall of Famers Mike Bossy, Denis Potvin, Bryan Trottier, Billy Smith, and Clark Gillies. The team was coached by Hall of Famer Al Arbour (the third all-time winningest coach) and managed by another Hall of Famer, Bill Torrey.

Their Cup win was legendary. They swept an Oilers team that included Gretzky, Messier, Kurri, Anderson, and Coffey. This Oilers team had scored a record 424 goals during the regular season and averaged over 6 goals per game in their playoff run leading up to the finals. In four games, the Oilers scored a total of 6 goals against Billy Smith, with none coming from Gretzky. The series concluded with Mike Bossy scoring the game-winning goal, his second Stanley Cup-winning goal, at 12:39 in the first period.

Anyway, yeah. Let's go Islanders!

I was born in Tampa, as was my brother, along with other Lightning fans I know. We aren't fake fans and are truly passionate about hockey. I've been a fan since I was a baby, and hockey is big in Tampa. Unless you live here, you wouldn't understand. The Lightning are a great team with a lot of potential to win the Cup in the coming years.

We are one of the better teams, and this list is misleading. The Flames are not as good, so I'm not sure why they are ranked ahead of us. We beat them in 2004 and consistently make it to the playoffs while they don't. How's that for Florida?

I am a Tampa fan myself. My dad is a former NHL player. Tampa fans may not know the game like Canadians, but they are loyal to their team. This loyalty sets them apart from Vegas Golden Knights fans, who often don't understand the game and lack loyalty. The Tampa Bay Lightning boast some of the best players in the league, such as Nikita Kucherov, Steven Stamkos, Victor Hedman, Brayden Point, Ryan McDonagh, and our goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy. Tampa is on their way to winning another Stanley Cup. The first one we won in '04, we did not deserve due to the controversial overtime goal that was taken away from the Calgary Flames in Game 6 in Calgary.

This list must be outdated. With the Capitals at #23? They currently have one of the best records in the league. The team is filled with All-Stars: Ovechkin, Oshie, Backstrom, Kuznetsov, Holtby, Wilson, Orlov. The list goes on. They boast the number one penalty kill and are second in power play goals. Not to mention they have one of the best shootout lineups and records in the league. They are the best team in the league.

Go Caps! They are rising up through the ranks in the NHL very quickly and are a huge contender for the Stanley Cup. With Ovechkin and Backstrom, they can dominate the NHL, which they already are.

The only reason the Habs are #2 is that they started earlier than any other team, which is why they have more Cups. Now, the entire California fanbase and organization are mostly comprised of LA fans. Ducks fans are much more loyal and they're "smarter" in terms of hockey IQ.

The Ducks have the best fanbase of any NHL team that wasn't part of the original six. They deserve to move up on this list.

The Ducks are the best team and they play harder than most other teams. They are a great team. Go Ducks!

Minnesota is the largest producer of American NHL players. Hockey is to Minnesota what football is to Texas. The 1980 Miracle on Ice? Seventy percent Minnesota-born players. Minnesota is long overdue to host a cup. Look at the roster of your favorite team, chances are that more than one of the key players is a Minnesota native. Those who have grown up in the State of Minnesota understand why it is the State of Hockey.

We were robbed of our heritage when the North Stars were moved to Texas and won the cup shortly after. Our time is coming, and we can all shed a tear of joy when we finally get the much-deserved banner hoisted into the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.

The Flyers are playing awesome right now - ten wins in a row! Maybe the Cup won't come back to Philly this year, but it will soon. I've been a Flyers fan since I was young. I bleed black and orange, win or lose, and I'm a fan for life.

Go Flyers! Keep up all the hard work and bring the Cup back to where it belongs. R.I.P. Ed.

The Flyers are always competitive every year. They consistently make appearances in the postseason.

Plus, they display tremendous heart on the ice - not to mention depth at all positions.

I may only be young, but the Flyers are good at comebacks. Steve Mason is a good goalie (plus he is my favorite), and the Flyers may be able to make it to the playoffs. Hopefully!

3/13/17 -

How many teams lose their number 1 center and, in their first five games since Scheifele was hurt, gain 9 out of a possible 10 points? The depth on this team is the best we have seen yet! I've been a Jets fan and friend of Bobby Hull for 45 years.

An incredible team, the Winnipeg Jets should be in the top 10. They have very great players and fans. It's surprising they aren't ranked higher.

Shea Weber is an amazing captain because he hits well and scores impressively!

I'm picking them to win this year (2017). I think we should start voting for them more.

At least they won the Cup in 2004, unlike other teams that are ranked lower here. This is from a Rangers fan.

Great team. Great players. Eric Staal is a great captain, and Jordan Staal is a good alternate.

Eric went to the Rangers. They didn't make it to the 2016 playoffs, but they worked hard for it.