NHL Teams That Simply Have No Chance at Winning the Stanley Cup

The Stanley Cup is the ultimate prize for every team in the NHL, but every year there are the contenders, pretenders and the teams that simply have no chance at winning the Stanley Cup.

Although the game of hockey offers more parity than any of the other major sports, certain teams simply don't have the makeup to dominate during an 82-game regular season and an extended playoff campaign.

Here are the NHL teams that simply have no chance at winning the Stanley Cup in 2012-13.

Columbus Blue Jackets

The Columbus Blue Jackets traded away their franchise star in Rick Nash this offseason, a move that is going to hurt them for the next few seasons.

He was their franchise and they are a team that is going to go through a rebuild over the next few seasons.

The additions of Brandon Dubinsky and Artem Anisimov will give the team depth, but they aren't game-changers like Nash.

Tim Erixon, Jack Johnson and 2012 first-round pick Ryan Murray are solid defensive pieces to build around, but it will take time for them to flourish into stable cornerstones.

Goaltending is another area that will hurt the Jackets, so unless Sergei Bobrovsky becomes a consistent All-Star netminder, Columbus will still need to search for a goaltender that could take them deep into the playoffs.

No matter how you slice it, the Blue Jackets have no shot at winning the Stanley Cup.

Montreal Canadiens

The Montreal Canadiens are an interesting team that has a blend of roster players and prospects in the system that could be successful if combined with other cornerstone pieces. While they aren't a Stanley Cup contender now, that will change soon.

Carey Price is a goaltender who is young and promising, and that is one of the biggest parts of a Stanley Cup contender.

Forward-wise, Alex Galchenyuk has the potential to be a great scoring forward, Louis Leblanc could turn into a solid playmaker and Sebastien Collberg was a solid draft pick who could be a forward who makes the roster in a few years.

Tomas Plekanec, David Desharnais, Max Paccioretty and Erik Cole currently are forwards that have been successful for Montreal, but the Habs could use a little more.

However, when you look at the Canadiens' current roster, winning the Stanley Cup this year isn't plausible. As the team grows and welcomes in some top prospects over the next few years, things could start to look up.

New York Islanders

The New York Islanders are another team that is a few pieces and prospects away from building a winning formula. John Tavares is a star player who is a future face of the NHL, and Matt Moulson is a highly underrated scoring forward.

The Isles also have top-end prospects like Ryan Strome, Nino Niederreiter, Calvin de Haan and Griffin Reinhart in their system.

While the Isles have a questionable roster now that lacks a proven goaltender and a steady blue line, in a few years they could contend once their prospects make the team and once they have a new arena that will be a draw to marquee free agents.

Toronto Maple Leafs

After this season, the Toronto Maple Leafs likely will have a new general manager, and then things could start looking up for them. It is safe to say that the Brian Burke era needs to come to an end.

The  Maple Leafs still have some unanswered questions heading into this season, and that is why they are a team that doesn't have a chance to win the Stanley Cup.

The Leafs do not have a legitimate starting netminder, the team lacks a true top center and there are some other areas where the team could improve.

Burke has made moves that have brought in players like Phil Kessel and James van Riemsdyk, but they haven't addressed areas of dire need for the Leafs.

Overall, the Leafs aren't going to win the Stanley Cup this year and Brian Burke will be in the unemployment line when the 2013 comes to a close.

Edmonton Oilers

The Edmonton Oilers are going to contend for a Stanley Cup, but it won't be this year.

There is no denying the potential of the Oilers, but right now they are top heavy on offense and are a little thinner on the blue line and in goal until Devan Dubnyk proves he has the chops to be a playoff goaltender.

Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Jordan Eberle and Nail Yakupov are the future of this team, but unless they bolster their defense, things likely won't improve.

It won't matter how many goals the fab four score unless the Oilers have a solid defense to keep their goals against down.

Justin Schultz was a good acquisition, but he isn't a proven commodity at the NHL level, so the Oil crew better keep building so they can taste sweet playoff success.

New Jersey Devils

The New Jersey Devils went from being on top of the world to hitting rock bottom when they lost their captain.

The Devils have yet to replace any of the key pieces they lost over the summer and with an aging goaltender and a core of players that could be broken up soon, the Devils are going to go through a rebuild.

Travis Zajac, Patrik Elias and David Clarkson are free agents after this season, and all three will be looking for a pay day, but the Devils won't offer the best situation for them.

If the Devils can trade these players for a nice return before they leave via free agency, the team can use those pieces and build around players like Adam Henrique and Ilya Kovalchuk.

Phoenix Coyotes

The Phoenix Coyotes had a prime opportunity last season, but they were unable to capitalize on a playoff run that saw Mike Smith as one of the NHL's top goaltenders and a youthful display by league veterans Shane Doan and Ray Whitney.

The team has been in limbo with ownership the last few seasons and that drove Whitney away, and it could potentially drive future free agents away.

The 'Yotes are a talented team that has youngsters, like Mikkel Bøedker, who will continue to grow, but the team didn't improve like teams in their conference did.

At the end of the day, the Coyotes don't appear to be a team that can win the Stanley Cup this season.

Calgary Flames

The Calgary Flames added forwards Jiri Hudler and Roman Cervenka this offseason, and  Dennis Wideman to bolster the offensive side of the blue line.

However, these additions will not be enough to propel the Flames forward to their first Stanley Cup victory since 1989.

With Jarome Iginla in the last year of his contract, it is quite possible that the Flames try and trade him for some rebuilding pieces.

Jay Feaster could be out of a job if the Flames fail to make the playoffs, so trading Iginla for some solid pieces could earn him a stay of execution. 

While Iginla may be older, teams looking to add one final piece for a significant playoff run would likely ante up for the Flames' captain.

The Flames are also in one of the toughest divisions in the NHL, and that hurts their chances of making the playoffs, let alone attempting to win the Stanley Cup.

Florida Panthers

The Florida Panthers are going to have a solid 2012-13 season, but they aren't going to contend for the Stanley Cup. They capitalized on winning a division that featured a lackluster Tampa Bay Lightning squad and a Washington Capitals team that underperformed until the end of the season.

Next season, both those teams could really do a number of this Florida Panthers squad.

The Panthers could have a good shot at winning the Stanley Cup in a few years once prospects like Jonathan Huberdeau and Nick Bjustad make the team, but right now they aren't built to win the Stanley Cup.

Florida has a solid roster that already includes Brian Campbell, Kris Versteeg, Tomas Fleischmann and Stephen Weiss, but their best days are a few years down the road.

Winnipeg Jets

The Winnipeg Jets are a team that has been fun to watch since their triumphant return to Winnipeg after relocating from Atlanta.

The team had an average 2011-12 season and made some improvements during the offseason, but they aren't going to be enough to make the team a contender.

Olli Jokinen was a solid addition that will give them more offensive depth and a player to interject in their top six. He is a solid center who can play a No. 1 or No. 2 center role.

Evander Kane is a player who is a future All-Star for the Jets and a player they could build around along with Mark Scheifele and defender Jacob Trouba.

Winnipeg is a team with tons of positives, but they need to show they can compete in their conference before they can be looked at as a Stanley Cup contender.