Since the 2003 season the teams to not have finished bottom 3 in a year I believe are:
Boston
Calgary
Dallas
Minnesota
Nashville
New York Rangers
San Jose
Outside of Boston, that doesn't look like exactly the crème de la crème of hockey teams.
Boston's an outlier, Bergeron, Krejci, Marchand, and Pastarnak were just amazing pick ups for when they went. UFA finds like Thomas, just a solid put together team. Will see how they fair with Krejci gone, Bergeron thinking about retirement etc. but certainly a great team in the post cap era.
The Stars with that post-apex Modano (1st overall) era was mediocre at best (but meh at worst), and they would win only 1 playoff in a decade between 2009-2018. They would make the Stanley Cup finals in 2020 but their best player was the 3rd overall they won with a 6.4% lottery ball. Again, this theory of picking high being good is popping back up.
Since the lockout the Wild have a grand total of 2 wins in the second round of the playoffs. Have been in the playoffs 9 of the last 10 seasons, but no one expects them to win or even make the conference finals.
Nashville has missed the playoffs only 3 times since the lockout. Consistently in it but you forget that because they rarely make any noise. They did go on a Cinderalla run in 2017 after finishing 8th in the West for that last playoff spot.
Rangers have been a good team, had some runs including losing to the Kings for the Cup, but it's almost not as good as it should be. Players like Fox (and Erixon) forcing their way there, college players like Strome picking them, all the UFAs wanting to sign there, and now they won two lotteries to draft 2nd and 1st. Richards, Redden, Shatternkirk, lots of bad UFA signings, though at the time they were the most sought after players available but even Gomez got them McDonaugh. Gaborik got them Brassard which got them Zibanejad. And now they have Panarin.
San Jose solid team for a long time, just couldn't get over that hump. But their best teams, the President Trophy winning 2009 type ones, were still based around two players. Marleau who they drafted 2nd overall because they sucked in 1997 and Thornton who went first that year who they got for peanuts in one of the most lopsided trades in NHL history.
Sure none of these teams are the Buffalo Sabres, Edmonton Oilers or Arizona Coyotes. But if you aren't willing to have a season or two of losing, it seems like your shot of doing anything relies on winning the draft lottery (easier when you suck), going on a Cinderella run (not exactly something to bank on), hope that some team decides to trade you a first line center for a couple spare parts or be a world class city that attracts all the UFAs.
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