Quote:
Originally Posted by dino7c
I suppose if you ignore time every rebuild is successful eventually
3 to 5 years is highly unlikely though IMO
Chicago missed the playoffs 9 of 11 years before they won a cup
Pittsburg was a quick one but the Crosby lottery was the biggest win of all time, the entire league had a shot
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Long rebuilds don’t necessarily mean the team is terrible for a long time before they reach the summit. The Capitals rebuild was capped by their Cup win in 2018, and it was kicked off with the drafting of Ovechkin in 2004 and Backstrom in 2006. But they were a very good team for a long time before they won the Cup. Same with the Lightning. They don’t win the Cup without Stamkos and Hedman.
It’s extremely difficult to win it all or have a sustained period of being elite in this league without at least a couple superstar players drafted in the top 5. Those players make take only 3 or 4 seasons to bring you a championship (Crosby/Malkin/Kane), or they may take 10+ years (Ovechkin/Backstrom/Hedman). But without them you’re almost guaranteed to flail around the middle of the standings indefinitely.