The Vancouver Canucks were going to do it in 2011. They were going to finally get over their playoff heartbreak and capture their first Stanley Cup in NHL history.
General manager Mike Gillis signed shutdown defenceman Dan Hamhuis, face off specialist Manny Malhotra, ultra pest Raffi Torres and even traded for mobile defenceman Keith Ballard.
Throw in the Chicago Blackhawks having to trade away Canuck kryptonites in Andrew Ladd, Dustin Byfuglien and Antti Niemi, and there was zero doubting that Vancouver was the favourite to win the Stanley Cup, let alone the Western Conference.