Back to back Stanley Cup Championships is great, but it isn't enough for a dynasty.
Yesterday, the Florida Panthers won their second consecutive Stanley Cup—defeating the Edmonton Oilers in six games. It was Florida's third straight trip to the Stanley Cup Finals, and it was their most dominating playoff performance, looking the Lightning, Maple Leafs, Hurricanes and Oilers look absolutely lost at times throughout the postseason.
The Florida Panthers have built one of the best teams in the modern day NHL. A league with so many competitive teams and a salary cap helping to create league parity. Florida's accomplishments over the past few years have been great, but they are not a dynasty just yet.
The Blackhawks are still the only dynasty in the salary cap era.
Three Stanley Cups in six seasons, five trips to the Western Conference Final in seven years and a Presidents' Trophy. The Blackhawks historic run from 2010 to 2015 is impressive, and it came at a time where the league actually had more than six to 12 teams—which cannot be said about those early dynasties like Toronto, Detroit and Montreal.
While some fans may like to argue that Chicago's run is not worthy of a dynasty, commissioner Gary Bettman declared them one, give it a listen for yourself.
"Well Chicago, that's three cups in six seasons, I would say, you have a dynasty." - Bettman
The Florida Panthers and the Tampa Bay Lightning before them have both been on some impressive runs. Three straight Stanley Cup Finals with a pair of banners is impressive. It is one of the best runs we have seen like Pittsburgh winning back to back in 2016 and 2017.
The Blackhawks never won back to back Stanley Cups. They were arguably a goal away from doing so in 2014 but being a goal away doesn't change the history books. Chicago's three Stanley Cups in the salary cap era earned them a dynasty. If Florida wants one too they are going to need to win one more Cup.