Stanley Cup 2022: How did the Tampa Bay and Colorado Avalanche reach the final?

To create a winning team in the era of salary caps is a long run.

It’s great that the current NHL doesn’t work on the well-known Czech saying “give me people and I’ll do it.” We can also add money to people.

The way to success, as seen especially in European football, where the richest teams buy the best in the gaming market and have the best chance of a title, does not apply in the NHL.

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$ 81.5 million is a magic number that bothers every manager. The clubs could not spend more money on their players’ salaries this season. In short, the salary cap will not let go.

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Thanks to this, there are a number of correct management decisions behind the procedure, even in just one final. Tampe Bay has done it three times in a row and is at its peak, Colorado is heading for it unstoppably.

I bring you the most fundamental decisions that have led both teams to success and fight for the Stanley Cup.

Colorado Avalanche Road

Avalanches at the turn of the millennium experienced golden hockey times. Their then captain Joe Sakic was able to raise the Stanley Cup over his head in 1996 and 2001.

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Since then, however, Colorado has become one of the average teams that have had trouble getting to the playoffs. Joe Sakic changed that again, this time from the position of general manager. He took up a managerial position in 2014 and since then it seems that they have been doing almost everything right in the club.

Sakic decided to follow the path of long-term team building. He inherited good draft selections from Landeskog and Mackinnon, and has already arranged the others with a clever signature policy. In addition, as one of the few managers, he did not make the mistake of overpaying his key players. I will give an example.

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