I don't buy that "building around Ovechkin" was really McPhee's issue. He brought in a lot of very good pieces for that team and they had a few years of legitimate chances at the Cup, but they were squandered. Backstrom is so far ahead of any centerman that Iginla had it's not even funny. Combined with Green, those three looked to be great core pieces a few years ago. Not to mention some good veteran prescence in guys like Chimera and Knuble and some utility guys like Fehr.
That team had it's chances, and it was Ovechkin who unplugged his own controller.
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