The NHL season concluded last week with another Stanley Cup in Detroit and a possible glimpse into the future in Pittsburgh.

The Red Wings returned to the top with their fourth Cup victory in the last 11 seasons. It truly was a team effort from the veteran-laden Wings, who played tough defense and got scoring from numerous sources.

Henrik Zetterberg carried away the Conn Smythe Trophy after leading the Wings with 27 points; that tied him for the playoff scoring lead with Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby. Also getting Conn Smythe consideration was Chris Osgood, who backstopped the Wings to the Cup with solid goaltending throughout the playoffs.

Nicklas Lidstrom will have his name etched onto the Cup for a fourth time, and he'll also be added to the record books as the first European to captain a team to the championship.

The Penguins have nothing to be ashamed of after a successful season that saw their young stars blossom into what is likely the team to beat for the near future.

With a nucleus that includes Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Marc-Andre Fleury it likely won't take Pittsburgh another 16 years to return to the Cup final. In fact, when the Stanley Cup futures start popping up online soon don't be surprised if Pittsburgh is actually ahead of Detroit on the odds lists.