Achi news desk-
Joe Pavelski and Brent Burns made the playoffs seven times together as teammates in San Jose, reaching the conference finals and reaching the Stanley Cup final in 2016 under Peter DeBoer. Zach Parise captained New Jersey to the final in 2012.
All those runs ended in defeat.
Pavelski and Ryan Suter are now DeBoer’s teammates again, now with Dallas, Parise, after several years alongside Suter in Minnesota, is now with rival Colorado and Burns is Carolina’s No. 1 defender.
They are among the oldest and most experienced veterans in this year’s NHL playoffs who have never lifted the Stanley Cup, a group that would love to join Ray Bourque and Lanny McDonald and win a championship as retirement nears.
Joe Pavelski
Pavelski has played over 1,500 regular-season and playoff games with the Sharks and Stars since making his major league debut in 2006. He was the postseason leading scorer eight years ago, tied for the most of games played in the 2020 playoff bubble and one of the most popular forwards of his generation.
“Joe, he’s the ultimate pro,” Dallas general manager Jim Nill said. “He just does everything right. He has done that throughout his career.”
The Wisconsin native has been hampered by injuries along the way, including a concussion in the opening round of last year’s first round. He turns 40 in July, when he is a free agent again, so this may or may not be his last shot at the Cup.
“You still want it, and you still want a chance,” Pavelski said. “And we have a great opportunity here, and guys are playing well. They’re guys who have that understanding and this is a great opportunity.”
Dallas Stars center Joe Pavelski (16) celebrates his goal in the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Pittsburgh Penguins in Dallas, Friday, March 22, 2024.
AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez
Ryan Suter
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No active player has played more games in this league without a championship than Suter, a reliable defender in Nashville, then Minnesota and now Dallas. His 40th birthday is in January. Unlike Pavelski, he is signed through next season.
The difference for Suter, who is averaging about 19 minutes per game, may be DeBoer, who is looking to take a third organization to the finals and win it for the first time. It doesn’t hurt to have young teammates like Miro Heiskanen and Esa Lindell leading the way on the blue line, and the trade deadline addition of Chris Tanev, to allow Suter to play his best when the situations arise.
“Chris Tanev is a great defender, and that allowed Suter to play fewer minutes where he’s going to be more effective,” said former ESPN analyst Ray Ferraro.
Dallas Stars defenseman Ryan Suter (20) waits to play during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Nashville Predators, Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024, in Nashville, Tenn.
AP Photo/George Walker IV
Zach Parise
A late contender in this category after signing with the Avalanche in late January just before the All-Star break, Parise could have walked away after not playing more than half the season, proud of a long career that including an Olympic silver medal in 2010.
Instead, Parise joined a contender who could ride again MVP front-runner Nathan MacKinnon and Norris Trophy candidate Cale Makar to a championship, which would be the franchise’s second in three years. Parise, aged 39, understands how big a challenge it is 12 years after his trip to the final with the Devils.
“There’s a deeper appreciation of how hard it is,” said Parise, whose birthday is in July. “I always look back to my first few years in Jersey, we got to the second round, I think, three years in a row. You’re like, ‘Okay, natural progression, we’ll get to the third round.’ And then suddenly, you get bounced a couple of times in the first round. You don’t know. It’s difficult.”
Colorado Avalanche left wing Zach Parise (9) in the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, April 13, 2024, in Denver.
AP Photo/David Zalubowski
Brent Burns
Larger than life with his massive beard, Burns remains a formidable force at 6-foot-5 and 230 pounds with a cannon of a shot. He turned 39 last month and is in his second season with the Hurricanes, who were swept by Florida in last year’s East final.
This might be his best shot at the title since 2016 with San Jose, especially after Carolina acquired Jake Guentzel and Evgeny Kuznetsov at the trade deadline to fill needs up front. Burns provides the firepower from the back and averages nearly 22 minutes per game.
“He knows he doesn’t have too many kicks on her,” said coach Rod Brind’Amour, who won the Cup in his 16th season as Hurricanes captain in 2006. “But I think our whole group knows that . We appreciate that. We have for a while.”
Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brent Burns (8) takes a shot during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Buffalo Sabers Sunday, Feb. 25, 2024, in Buffalo, N.Y.
AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes
Mark Giordano
The Toronto Maple Leafs have almost a full roster of players who have not won the Cup. The oldest is Mark Giordano, who will turn 41 in October and is almost certainly in his last season.
Giordano won the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s top defenseman in 2018-19 near the end of his time in Calgary. He was the first and (still only) captain in the history of Seattle’s young franchise and, like Pavelski, is a hard-nosed competitor with great respect around the league.
& copy 2024 The Associated Press
