Crosby/Malkin vs. McDavid/Draisaitl: Examining Stanley Cup supporting casts

Photo by Justin Berl/Getty ImagesIn the aftermath of Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers failing once again to capture the elusive Stanley Cup, online discourse has popped up about the age old hockey debate of individual contribution to what is a team-based achievement. Great players are judged by how many Cups they win, but ironically those players are heavily dependent on everything from goaltending to management to coaching to support players to — did we mention goaltending — in order to make it to the top of the mountain.

Another interesting area is how the Oilers have been constructed around McDavid and fellow all-world forward Leon Draisaitl. The Oilers often resort to playing the…