Per my dear friend Prager:
"Unless you are a recent cup winning team, the odds of getting a ring bearer are not that great."
Let's have a look at a few of this year's 'Final Eight'.
Players with Cup Rings:
Boston Bruins: Mark Recchi, Stephane Yelle, Shawn Thornton
Chicago Blackhawks: Nikolai Khabibulin, Samuel Pahlsson, Andrew Ladd
Washington Capitals: Sergei Fedorov (multiple Cup championships)
Most recent Cups won by these teams:
Boston: 1971
Chicago: 1961
Washington: none
Your logic, based on the evidence, seems flawed, dear Prags.
What these players bring is an understanding of what it takes to WIN.
What these players bring is the being part of the irrefutable accomplishment of having done what it takes to achieve the ultimate in the sport of hockey.
This has value. This is a large part of why Peter Chiarelli, Dale Tallon and George McPhee have added them to their respective rosters.
Not accidentally, all three teams have not only risen measurably in the standings over the past two years, they are all into the second round of the 2009 SCPs.
Now...can the Ottawa Senators benefit from adding players who have accomplished this feat to their squad?
Does Bryan Murray, in the view of our esteemed members, grasp that value, and should he attempt to instill a 'championship culture' in his team by recruiting Cup winners?