[DazzlinDino]

Originally Posted by CSharp

There's nothing wrong with the Dallas model, but there are other good teams in the top 5. I think the Flames could look at teams that have been successful in the past 10-15 years and take from each of those teams, not just Dallas Stars. Here are teams that have been quite successful that the Flames should take note:

1) VGK - big and fast up front and huge on D. Get bigger depth at trading deadline.

2) Hurricanes - I don't know how they do it but they keep trading and getting guys coming in that can commit to their system.

3) Panthers - they are fast and big. They already had a lot of good pieces from their drafting before Bennett and Tkachuk got there. A good goalie also helps.

4) Avs, Pens, and Lightnings - I group these 3 together because these teams built championship teams on a core of franchise players when they dipped down low to win the lottery draft. These teams also had good leadership on the team. I would add Oilers here, but I don't think their leadership is anything compared to those 3 teams. Hawks were crappy until they got Kane, Toews, and a couple of d-men as their leadership core. Now with their rebuild, they're likely going the way of the VGK. Just wait a couple of more years - I'll bet the Hawks will be contenders again.

It's a combination of luck, trades, drafts, free agent signings, and foresight to build successful teams. I think the Flames don't really have long term foresight, no luck, and trading away their assets and picks just to make the playoffs is good enough is the result of a drought that's gone on for too long. I think the luck changes when the organization start to realize the importance of obtaining at least one generational/franchise player to build around - and no, it's not around a goalie!

I would argue that due to the Panthers approach they were able to take some luck out of the equation.