Which NHL veterans are most deserving of their first Stanley Cup?

There are few stories in the Stanley Cup Playoffs more endearing than a long-time NHL player finally winning the Cup after a career of close calls and what ifs.

There’s a reason why Ray Bourque hoisting the Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 2002 is an iconic moment in NHL history. He was one of the best defensemen of all time, and after 22 seasons and two previous close calls with the Boston Bruins, he finally won the trophy and sailed off into the sunset with his Cup. Players who’ve grinded out a career for so long deserve to have a Stanley Cup on their resume, and when time is running out, it makes them pulling it off in the 11th hour all the more satisfying.

There are 19 veteran players in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs who have yet to win a Stanley Cup, ranging from longtime depth players to former superstars in their final seasons. I, along with my Daily Faceoff colleagues Mike Gould, Ryan Cuneo and Tyler Kuehl, decided to rank all 19 of them based on how accomplished their careers are, how much time is left for them to win, and just straight up how much we like the player, to determine which players to root for the most in the playoffs.

There are only two rules to qualify for this list: the player has to be 35 years or older (as that’s around the point in a player’s career where retirement can enter the equation) and they have to have not won a Stanley Cup up to this point in their careers. Let’s dig in.

19. Luke Glendening, Philadelphia Flyers

Age: 36
Mike’s Rank: 17th
Ryan’s Rank: 18th
Scott’s Rank: 19th
Tyler’s Rank: 19th

Tyler: There are few players who have been able to ride the coattails of other stars the way Glendening has over his career, making a minimal impact for the last several years. He entered the league after winning a Calder Cup with his hometown Grand Rapids Griffins, joining a Detroit Red Wings team that still had Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg. Then, he joined a Stars team that had the likes of Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin and Miro Heiskanen, which led to him playing in the Western Conference Final in 2023. Then it was back-to-back seasons with the Tampa Bay Lightning, during which he scored a whopping 18 points. Now, he’s in the postseason once again with the Flyers, after being picked up off waivers before the trade deadline. 

Also, growing up in West Michigan, we despised kids from East Grand Rapids. Just a bunch of spoonlickers (or cake eaters for our friends in Minnesota). While Glendening got to live the dream many of us had in the area, playing for Michigan, the Griffins, and Red Wings, he still went to that snobby school.

Scott: I wouldn’t say my indifference to Glendening’s playoff success is as passionate as Tyler’s, but as someone who covered the Red Wings when he was first coming into the league, and wondering how the hell he’s been such a mainstay in the league. He’s also far and away the worst player on this list, the kind of player where you don’t feel robbed if they play out their career without winning it all.

Mike: Hey, if nothing else, he’s really, really good at faceoffs. And that’s about it.

18. James Reimer, Ottawa Senators

Age: 38
Mike’s Rank: 19th
Ryan’s Rank: 17th
Scott’s Rank: 18th
Tyler’s Rank: 18th

Scott: It always hurts to say this as someone who grew up a fan of Reimer’s, but after he was one of the players vocal about not wearing pride jerseys during warm-ups because of misguided religious beliefs, I just can’t bring myself to care for him anymore. He’s also likely not going to get into any playoff action, so he won’t even be a difference-maker for the Senators. If he does end up in net, it means Linus Ullmark is injured or playing poorly, so Ottawa’s chances are slim in that scenario.

Tyler: Scott and I are in the same boat on this. Once a beloved figure in Leaf Land, his reputation has been tarnished by his decisions, not to mention the fact that he’s been a mediocre goaltender as Father Time has tracked him down. Sure, he had his moments in Carolina, but then again, a lot of people could’ve been solid behind Rod Brind’Amour’s defensive systems.

Ryan: Much like Scott, it pains me a little bit to have ranked Reimer so low on this list, and I’ll admit to still harboring a small soft spot in my blue and white heart for him. The image of Reimer laying prone across the crease after giving up the Game 7 overtime winner to Patrice Bergeron in 2013 will probably never get out of my head.

17. Nic Dowd, Vegas Golden Knights

Age: 35
Mike’s Rank: 18th
Ryan’s Rank: 16th
Scott’s Rank: 17th
Tyler’s Rank: 17th

Scott: For me, Dowd is the line of neutrality on this list. Everyone above him is someone who, to some extent, I’ve enjoyed their careers and wouldn’t mind seeing them finally win a Stanley Cup. Everyone below him is someone whom I don’t really like or think has done anything to make me root for them.

With Dowd, I’m mostly just indifferent. He’s a respectable player, a solid glue guy, but I’ve never found myself thinking, “I can’t believe this guy hasn’t won a Cup yet”.

16. Radko Gudas, Anaheim Ducks

Age: 35
Mike’s Rank: 12th
Ryan’s Rank: 19th
Scott’s Rank: 16th
Tyler’s Rank: 15th

Scott: Gudas has had his fair share of moments to make him hateable, hence why he’s the lowest pick among my accomplished veterans tier. But at the same time, his prime years saw him as a fascinating blend of old-school hockey and analytics darling, and I have to respect that. That said, considering the streak he’s on this year, if he hurts Connor McDavid in this series, consider my respect lost.

Tyler: Could you imagine him nailing the Canadian trifecta in one year? Crosby, Matthews (yes, he’s American, but he’s Toronto’s captain) and McDavid? I think Mark Carney will ban him from ever crossing the border again.

15. Nick Jensen, Ottawa Senators

Age: 35
Mike’s Rank: 16th
Ryan’s Rank: 15th
Scott’s Rank: 14th
Tyler’s Rank: 16th

Ryan: Jensen is only in his 10th NHL season, which feels like too few for an Old Man Without a Cup, but he made his NHL debut at the age of 26 after three seasons in college and four in the AHL. He eventually earned his way to the big show with the Red Wings in 2016. After getting traded to the Washington Capitals in 2019, he has gone to the playoffs in seven of the last eight seasons, never getting past the second round. It’s certainly a long shot for Jensen and the Senators to win it all this year, but if they do, it would be hard not to feel good for the gritty veteran. 

Scott: As someone who started out at the Nation Network 10 years ago at a Red Wings website, I have a soft spot for Jensen because he came into the league around the same time, and I always enjoyed his game with the team. For that reason, I hope he wins it.

14. Marcus Johansson, Minnesota Wild

Age: 35
Mike’s Rank: 11th
Ryan’s Rank: 13th
Scott’s Rank: 15th
Tyler’s Rank: 11th

Ryan: There’s at least a chance you thought Johansson was on the Capitals’ 2018 Stanley Cup championship team. But nope, he was traded to the New Jersey Devils the preceding offseason. Despite having never won a Stanley Cup, Johansson stays going to the playoffs, now in the 13th postseason of his 16-year NHL career. He’s only been to the Stanley Cup finals once, when he was a rental for the 2019 Bruins. He’s always been a smooth, pass-first center that can provide secondary scoring, but it feels like he’s flown under the radar his whole career. The long-suffering fans in Minnesota should be the primary reason to root for the Wild, but Johansson finally getting his Cup is a worthy secondary reason.

Mike: MoJo was such a solid player for that Bruins team. It’s cool that he’s been able to latch on in Minnesota for so long now after spending a bunch of years in the wilderness after leaving Washington. Remember when he played for Buffalo? Me neither.

13. Jeff Petry, Minnesota Wild

Age: 38
Mike’s Rank: 9th
Ryan’s Rank: 12th
Scott’s Rank: 11th
Tyler’s Rank: 14th

Tyler: I think Petry’s placement on this list might’ve been higher when he was a key part of the Montreal Canadiens in the early 2010s…then again, he wouldn’t have qualified for the list because he would’ve been too young. However, the sentiment with the right-handed rearguard is still respectable, and his value was enough for Wild GM Bill Guerin to acquire him ahead of the deadline. People forget how clutch he was for Montreal in 2020 and the team’s surprising run to the final the following year. Let’s be honest, it would be cool for the guy who popped a blood vessel in his eye a half-decade ago to get another chance at winning the Cup.

Scott: Petry emerged as an analytics darling just as I was getting into advanced stats, so I’ll always have a soft spot for him during those years. I’d even argue there were stretches of his Montreal tenure where he was better than Shea Weber. But he is far from that player now, and also won’t be a big impact player for Minnesota.

Mike: Petry definitely loses points for essentially being a bit player at this point in his career, but at his peak, he was better than most of the guys on this list.

12. Adam Henrique, Edmonton Oilers

Age: 36
Mike’s Rank: 13th
Ryan’s Rank: 11th
Scott’s Rank: 13th
Tyler’s Rank: 7th

Ryan: For a player now in his 16th NHL season, Henrique has had precious few postseason opportunities. Of his four career trips to the playoffs, however, he’s reached the Stanley Cup Finals three times, including in each of the last two seasons with the Oilers. The other time he did was all the way back in 2012 with the Ilya Kovalchuk-led Devils. It’s hard to feel overly bad for Henrique, as his relative lack of playoff chances is mostly due to the long-term, big-money deals he signed with the Devils and the Ducks, despite being the effective, middle-six center every contender craves. Still, it would be nice to see Henrique finally be the bride and not the bridesmaid with the Oilers this season.

11. Tyler Myers, Dallas Stars

Age: 36
Mike’s Rank: 8th
Ryan’s Rank: 10th
Scott’s Rank: 12th
Tyler’s Rank: 13th

Ryan: As a tall and relatively immobile man myself, there’s a soft spot in my heart for players like Myers, who are increasingly seeming like dinosaurs in an NHL dominated by smaller and shiftier defensemen like Quinn Hughes and Cale Makar. In his younger days, though, Myers had rare skating and skill for a man of his size, making him an exciting watch when he came up with the Buffalo Sabres for the last couple of seasons of their Ryan Miller-era relevance. He’s since had extended stints with the Winnipeg Jets and Vancouver Canucks, and has adapted himself into a big-bodied, stay-at-home defenseman. He finally agreed to waive his no-trade clause to join the Stars as a rental this season. While I’m not exactly rooting for the Stars to win it all, if they do, at least I’ll get to watch one of my fellow talls hoist the Cup.

10. Matt Duchene, Dallas Stars

Age: 35
Mike’s Rank: 14th
Ryan’s Rank: 5th
Scott’s Rank: 9th
Tyler’s Rank: 9th

Tyler: Seeing how Duchene has reinvented himself from being a marquee scoring star to a supporting character, and a leader on and off the ice, is a far cry from the player some believed to be a problem in his younger days with the Avalanche and Senators. Now, the 35-year-old is a key veteran on a Stars team that has a great chance of making it back to the West Final once again. 

You have to remember, before being bought out by the Nashville Predators in 2023, Duchene had truly never been on a consistently good team. You have to think he’ll get the ultimate break (I’m sure fans in the Big D would love to see that happen).

Scott: Duchene comes from a time when he was a step or two below the best of the best, which is why I feel a fair amount of indifference towards him. But I also have some respect for him and hope to see him win.

Ryan: Scott is right that Duchene was always a cut below elite, but in his prime, few were more electrifying with the puck on their stick. Entertainment value counts for a lot in my books, so Duchene will always be one of my personal favorites. Plus, that time he got caught trash-talking the Senators’ penalty kill coach in an Uber is one of the funniest NHL scandals ever, so, you know, points for that.

9. Frederik Andersen, Carolina Hurricanes

Age: 36
Mike’s Rank: 8th
Ryan’s Rank: 7th
Scott’s Rank: 8th
Tyler’s Rank: 10th

Mike: See, I still remember Andersen as the cool young Ducks goalie who always seemed to find a way to elevate his game in the playoffs. He was the guy who really helped the Ducks re-establish themselves atop the Pacific Division after the years of Jonas Hiller and Viktor Fasth attempting to fill J-S Giguere’s skates. And then Andersen had a pretty great second act in Toronto, helping usher in the Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner era, before leaving for Carolina, where he’s been for the last … wait, five years? Already!?

Scott: I’ll always appreciate Andersen for how he provided the Toronto Maple Leafs with their only stretch of stable goaltending in the salary cap era, but there were a few games during the Leafs’ playoff runs where a soft goal from him cost them a game. I’d love to see him win, but you feel less bad about him not winning when he’s been the one at fault on several occasions.

8. Nick Foligno, Minnesota Wild

Age: 38
Mike’s Rank: 7th
Ryan’s Rank: 14th
Scott’s Rank: 10th
Tyler’s Rank: 2nd

Mike: Foligno has always been a pretty respectable player wherever he’s gone, and it’s hard to believe he’s already on his fourth team since leaving the Columbus Blue Jackets (I’d already forgotten his stint in Toronto). It’s cool to see him get the chance to play with his brother on a genuinely formidable Minnesota team. The only drawback is that the elder Foligno might not get much of a chance to make his mark while part of a stacked Wild lineup — he finished just shy of 11 minutes in Game 1 against Dallas.

Scott: With Foligno, I have to remember to separate my emotions from the trade that brought him to Toronto, and how that was Kyle Dubas’ fault, not his. That said, I think all nine players I had ranked ahead of him are in a different tier of skill level who deserve a Cup just a touch more, but Foligno does come out ahead in my second tier.

7. Jared Spurgeon, Minnesota Wild

Age: 36
Mike’s Rank: 6th
Ryan’s Rank: 9th
Scott’s Rank: 5th
Tyler’s Rank: 12th

Mike: Spurgeon is one of those guys who has always seemed a lot younger than he is, and he gets extra points here for being one of only two players on this list to have spent his entire career to date with the same team. Although his role has diminished somewhat in recent years, Spurgeon is still a solid middle-pair guy at this point in his career, and he’s certainly been insulated nicely since Quinn Hughes’s arrival earlier this season. He’s at the point where he can still be counted upon to help in a significant way without being the guy, as he once was. On a Wild team without about a half-dozen guys who could feasibly be captain, Spurgeon is an extremely respected leader and an emotional focal point on and off the ice.

Scott: Look, I’m an analytics guy. For most of my hockey-watching life, Spurgeon has been one of the analytics darlings during that time. I remember the days in the trenches debating whether he was better than Ryan Suter. Outside of the four bona fide superstars ahead of him, there’s no one I want to see win the Cup more, and it feels like this and next season will be his best shots at that.

6. Mattias Ekholm, Edmonton Oilers

Age: 35
Mike’s Rank: 10th
Ryan’s Rank: 8th
Scott’s Rank: 6th
Tyler’s Rank: 6th

Tyler: Let me just say that if PK Subban’s goal in Game 1 of the 2017 Stanley Cup Final wasn’t bogusly called back, and the ref didn’t blow the whistle quickly in Game 6 of that series, Ekholm isn’t on this list. 

The former Predators star has come close to lifting Lord Stanley three times in his career, having fallen in Game 7 with the Oilers in 2024, before a resounding defeat at the hands of the Florida Panthers last spring. Sure, he is far from being considered one of the best blueliners in the game as he was while in Smashville, but given the work he has put in over his career, he has earned every shot at winning a championship in this league.

Scott: Ekholm was one of the more underrated defensemen in the league during his time with the Predators, and it’s been great seeing him get more respect with the Oilers. Watching him and Evan Bouchard together is magic, so while the likes of McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are at the top of most people’s Cup wish lists in Edmonton, Ekholm isn’t much lower on mine.

5. Mats Zuccarello, Minnesota Wild

Age: 38
Mike’s Rank: 5th
Ryan’s Rank: 6th
Scott’s Rank: 7th
Tyler’s Rank: 8th

Mike: As a wise man once remarked about Zuccarello, “he’s like a lizard, the way a lizard takes his tongue and sticks it as far as it does and retrieves what it was trying to do.” The Norwegian winger was a late bloomer with the New York Rangers and has seemingly only gotten better with each passing year since being signed by then-Wild GM Paul Fenton all the way back in 2019. Durability can be an issue with Zuccarello, who’s fallen short of 70 games in each of the last three years running, but he’s remarkably effective when healthy. Zuccarello will turn 39 in September and doesn’t have a contract for next season, meaning this could be his final kick at the can. He came extremely close with the Rangers back in 2014.

4. Jamie Benn, Dallas Stars

Age: 36
Mike’s Rank: 4th
Ryan’s Rank: 3rd
Scott’s Rank: 4th
Tyler’s Rank: 4th

Mike: The only Art Ross Trophy winner on this list, Benn is one of those players who simultaneously feels younger and older than his actual age. It feels like it was just yesterday that he was the fresh-faced young kid from the Victoria Salsa who was brave enough to fight Jarome Iginla; at the same time, he’s old enough that he gets to play without a visor, and both he and Tyler Seguin truly feel like remnants from a bygone era of up-and-coming NHL stars. Remember when the Stars’ own CEO went on a profane rant complaining that Benn and Seguin weren’t good enough? That was, uh, eight years ago.

Ryan: The skilled power forward with silky smooth hands is one of my favorite hockey player archetypes, and it’s one that Benn perfectly exemplified in his heyday. He was never a blazer, but he was someone who could absolutely own the puck in the offensive zone, and I’ll always remember him joining forces with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry to form a monster line on the 2014 Canadian Olympic team. I also appreciate the distinctive tape job on his stick blade.

3. Erik Karlsson, Pittsburgh Penguins

Age: 35
Mike’s Rank: 2nd
Ryan’s Rank: 4th
Scott’s Rank: 3rd
Tyler’s Rank: 5th

Scott: If I were going purely off of my love for the player and their talent, Karlsson would be an easy No. 1 pick for me. Prime Karlsson was one of the best players to watch in the league, especially when he was with the Senators, and the way he elevated some mediocre Sens teams made many hockey fans feel like he was robbed of a true chance in those days. The fact that we’re getting a performance somewhat close to that has made me feel nostalgic, and if he were to get his Cup alongside Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang getting one more, that would be magic.

Alas, Karlsson is only 35, so compared to the two players ahead of him, he still has a bit more time left to get his Cup.

Tyler: Grace and skill are what come to mind whenever I think of Karlsson. Always being able to perform no matter how bad the team is around him. The closest he’s ever come is a pair of Eastern Conference Final appearances, which makes sense given the teams he has been a part of. Unfortunately, I don’t see that changing with this Pens team.

Mike: Karlsson absolutely still has it. He’s one of the most entertaining players in the game and single-handedly elevates the Penguins whenever he’s on the ice. It’s still weird to see him in Pittsburgh after his Senators lost to them in 2017, but I can totally get why Kyle Dubas was so keen on getting him in the first place.

Ryan: I’d like to see Karlsson win a Cup as much as the next guy, but as it stands, he’s got to be considered the greatest ever defenseman without a Cup, right? That’s not a bad fallback legacy to have, especially since nobody considers him to be a playoff choker.

2. Claude Giroux, Ottawa Senators

Age: 38
Mike’s Rank: 3rd
Ryan’s Rank: 2nd
Scott’s Rank: 2nd
Tyler’s Rank: 3rd

Ryan: Kids these days don’t know that Giroux was once officially the best player in the world (source: that one time Flyers coach Peter Laviolette went a little overboard after beating the Penguins in the 2012 playoffs). While the “best player in the world” talk was always far-fetched, Giroux was genuinely awesome during his prime in Philly. His skill level and highlight-reel ability made him a player you’d tune in specifically to watch. Sidney Crosby vs. Alex Ovechkin is obviously the defining rivalry of its era. Still, Giroux’s feud with Crosby in the early 2010s was tremendously entertaining, and dare I say, maybe even a bit more colorful. 

Giroux hasn’t been to the Stanley Cup Final since his brilliant run with the 2010 Flyers. I always like my Old Men Without a Cup to be real contributors to earn their Cup. If Giroux’s Senators do go on a Cinderella run to the Cup, he’ll have to provide key secondary scoring.

Tyler: I remember growing up despising Giroux. He played on the Flyers back when they found ways to torment the teams I cheered for. He always seemed like someone who was great, but didn’t possess the ability to drag his team to a championship (though that almost happened 16 years ago). The Sens would need one of those underdog runs to give the old ginger a shot at a Cup. But, then again, we’ve seen that story told before. 

1. Brent Burns, Colorado Avalanche

Age: 41
Mike’s Rank: 1st
Ryan’s Rank: 1st
Scott’s Rank: 1st
Tyler’s Rank: 1st

Scott: We haven’t seen a Norris Trophy-winning defenseman in his 40s join the Avalanche for one last kick attempt at a Stanley Cup since Ray Bourque. And with the way Colorado has played this season, it feels like the stars are aligning for Burns to get his moment.

Burns is THE Old Man Without A Cup right now. He’s the only player in his 40s; he was one of the best defensemen in the league in his prime, and it feels like he has a reasonable chance to skate off into the sunset hoisting the trophy. Plus, he spent the entirety of his career on “bridesmaid” teams in the San Jose Sharks and the Hurricanes, coming so close so many times but never going all the way. He’s not the player on the list I want to see win the Cup the most, but he’s probably the only player who HAS to win it this summer. There’s a reason why he’s the only unanimous choice among the four of us.

Tyler: So good for so long. Long beards and fun personalities aren’t the only things Burns and former Sharks teammate Joe Thornton have in common. They only ever came close to that one magical run in 2016, and, outside of 2019, have hardly come close to even being within eyeshot of Lord Stanley. Burns is the closest thing we have to a modern-day Ray Bourque. While he’s played for a few more teams than No. 77, this grizzled vet might be able to take advantage of winning a Cup on a President’s Trophy-winning team.

P.S. Burns just happens to be in his 22nd season in the NHL. History likes to repeat itself…

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