NHL franchises covet players with extensive Stanley Cup Playoffs experience like someone walking through the desert yearns for water.
Players with their names on the Stanley Cup cost more in free agency and trades than those with the same resume otherwise would. Franchises with young cores overpay for Cup champions, desperate to give their kids a grizzled veteran of past playoff wars who can help show them the way.
It is one of the most precious commodities in the league. And among the eight remaining teams in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Colorado Avalanche has a massive advantage over the field.