To build a Stanley Cup winner, there are always a couple givens. Luck is one of them. Navigating the playoffs is kind of like working through a deep poker tournament. Skill is a necessity, but occasionally you need help on the river.



“You need luck,” Blues GM Doug Armstrong told The Athletic. “One thing Bob Gainey told me: ‘Your job as a manager is to put your team in a good position. You never know when it’s going to be your time to get there.’ … If you’re there a lot, one time you’re going to get through.”



We saw that in 2018 with the Capitals and again this spring with the Blues. Run a good program, do it long enough, and chances are you’ll get your breakthrough.



The other given is goaltending. Every Cup champion needs it.



But the reigning champs were built slightly differently than some of the recent Stanley Cup champions. As good as Ryan O’Reilly is, he’s not...