The NHL season nears a close, as 15 of the 16 playoff spots have officially been clinched. While the North Division still has one vacancy, it would be a monumentally improbable disaster if the Montreal Canadiens don’t lock up the final spot. That’s what’s going on in hockey.
In another world, the NFL Draft – perhaps the most important event each NFL offseason – is now behind us. Some teams drafted their quarterback of the future or another guy to build around, while other teams got pieces to complement the existing foundations. Each and every NFL team came more clearly into focus as the new NFL season draws closer.
Because we’re missing football, because it’s Sunday, and, yes, because it’s a slow news day, we’ve come up with a fun activity for fans that enjoy both the NHL and the NFL. Basing decisions on recent successes/failures, personnel involved, and general team identity, we’ve matched 10 NHL teams with their most directly comparable NFL team.
Are the comparisons perfect? Absolutely not. Is it fun to come up with arbitrary comparisons to pass the time on an aforementioned slow news day? Absolutely.
Comparison #1: Toronto Maple Leafs x Dallas Cowboys
You either love ‘em, or you really, really, really hate ‘em.
Two of the largest, most loyal, most vocal fan bases in their respective league could also possibly be labeled as two of the most ‘hated’ fan bases. Both franchises carry a ton of history, but neither has had ANY playoff success recently.
Since the Cowboys last won a Lombardi Trophy back in 1995, they have only managed to win a total of four playoff games. Each of those games were Wild Card games, and after each win they went on to lose the next round. The Leafs, on the other hand, have only won seven playoff series in that same time span. All of those wins came in 2004 or earlier, and they have not been to Stanley Cup Final in that time (since the 60’s, in fact).
Their colours and logos are even somewhat similar.
Comparison #2: Detroit Red Wings x New England Patriots
Two teams who were recently considered dynasties that have met more troubled waters recently.
The Wings went to the playoffs 25 years in a row until finally missing in 2015-16. In that time, they managed to win the Stanley Cup four times, and they almost always proved to be a tough out. The Pats, meanwhile, have won the Super Bowl SIX times since 2001. Up until last season, they had only missed the playoffs twice, and more often than not went to the AFC Championship game at least.
The timelines may not match up perfectly, but both these teams were vaunted for decades only to be looked at in a softer light more recently.
Comparison #3: Florida Panthers x Cleveland Browns
While the Browns have a much richer history than the Panthers, both of these teams have had similar story arcs in recent years.
Before losing in the qualifying round ahead of last year’s playoffs, the Panthers had only appeared in three playoff series (all losses) since the turn of the millennium. Before making it to the divisional round of last year’s playoffs, the Brown had only played in one playoff game since the turn of the millennium (a loss).
Now, these two teams are young and extremely talented on offence AND defence. While they both have a lot to prove in the near future, you can bet both of these teams are playing with a chip on their shoulder the size of Rhode Island.
Comparison #4: Tampa Bay Lightning x Kansas City Chiefs
Quick! Who’s been the most perennial championship ‘favourite’ over the last five seasons?!
When you think of two teams that have sustained dominance through multiple seasons recently, you likely think of the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Lightning. Other teams have fluttered in and out of the championship contention in recent years, but the Chiefs and the Bolts have mostly been shown a lot of respect from odds makers and fans.
Despite the extended period of success, both franchises have only won one Championship in the last 15 years.
Comparison #5: Colorado Avalanche x Tampa Bay Buccaneers
These two teams are just absolutely loaded up with playmakers on both offence and defence. These are two of the most fun teams to watch in their respective sports, and both should be looked at serious championship contenders.
The Bucs are bringing back literally everyone from their recent Super Bowl triumph, and the Avs – who have had the same corps for a while now – are another team that seems to live by the philosophy “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Whether corps consistency can lead to the Avs’ first championship since 2001 remains to be seen, but that would slide right into the same timeline as a Bucs franchise that had previously won in 2003 before last season’s title.
Comparison #6: Edmonton Oilers x Green Bay Packers
Well, the Packers have had way more success recently than the Oilers, so that’s the major difference. The reason these two franchises are being compared is more to do with the team make up.
The Packers have essentially been achieving any success they’ve had on the back of Aaron Rodgers, and more recently, on Davante Adams. Beyond them, there just isn’t really much star power at all. Still, nobody wants to meet the Packers in playoffs simply because of their two superstars.
Sound familiar? While the success hasn’t fully translated to playoffs yet, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have been absolutely smashing leaderboards in similar fashion to Rodgers and Adams. The two Oilers superstars are scary enough on their own to instill fear for anyone meeting them in playoffs.
Whether Aaron Rodgers actually plays another snap for the Packers could determine whether this comparison blows up in our faces, but for now the dual-threat franchises match up enough to crack the list.
Comparison #7: Los Angeles Chargers x Winnipeg Jets
We’ll start with the obvious, both these teams have gone through relocations fairly recently to play in a city that previously had a team.
Both of these teams have been severely foiled by injuries and absences on defence, and these defensive shortcomings have been a major reason why the Chargers and Jets have struggled to make more legitimate runs. While the Jets don’t quite have the same tendency to absolutely blow it the way the Chargers have, both teams have had recent seasons that could be summarized as ‘good, not great,’ or perhaps more accurately, ‘good, but flawed.’
We’ll see if the young corps on each team can develop into more serious contenders, both rosters have a ton of potential.
Comparison #8: Buffalo Sabres x Detroit Lions
This doesn’t really need too much explanation. Both of these teams have been really bad for a really long time. Both the Sabres and the Lions can essentially be counted on to finish towards the bottom of the standings, and both have gone through serious personnel changes to no avail. That’s pretty much it.
Do you agree with our comparisons? Are there other comparisons you would draw between teams? Let us know what you think @BarDown!
