In order to win a team needs a series of things to go their way.
Ultimately in the cap era it’s about having players on maximum value contracts. Either entry level, back diving, cap circumventing, or extreme value deals have been needed to win for most team. Off of the top of my head, Boston & Anaheim are the only two who weren’t overly reliant on several of these.
Both Colorado & Tampa have been build over time with punctuated periods of sucking.
Tampa started one year earlier in 2008 with Stamkos, but Colorado went straight from Sakic to Duchene (#2 OA). Two years later with Landeskog (#2 OA) then another two years later with Mackinnon (#1 OA).
Roy’s biggest asset to the franchise’s latest championship was insisting they choose Mackinnon & not Jones in 2013.
Two years after Mackinnon they select Rantanen (#10 OA), Makar 2 years later, and Byron two years after that.
Even with the punctuated sucking they needed Mackinnon’s Uber value deal, and the Melynk/Dorian Clown show to recycle Duchene into Byron & Girard, and the acumen/luck in drafting. Even their questionable high pick in Jost was turned into Sturm to help them win.
They made savy deals for other parts like Kadri, looking for value deals, but without the core drafted pieces these deals keep them competitive.
Tampa also had their punctuated period of suck, and managed assets to maximize returns, like Drouin for Sergechev with similar acumen/luck in drafting in later rounds.
Are the Avs & Lightning better at drafting? Well yeah, but it’s not that simple either. They’re also better at development, and most other teams are terrible at drafting and/or development.
https://beedie.sfu.ca/ideas/2013/08/...ockey-players/