[Sylvanfan]

First off, it took them about 14 years to completely build this thing out, and they did have a few missteps getting there. But they used every avenue available to them to improve the team be it trades, or free agency.

To me the 2022 summer is the critical junction where they made bold moves that worked out. They moved on from Andrew Burnette despite him having a great record after Qunneville was forced to resign. They went with what this board would call a retread coach and moved out the sharp new comer. They made the Tkachuck deal which invloved trading a top offensive player plus Weegar for another player who is a different style. They did struggle for sure lot of that season to find their identity barely getting into the playoffs and losing 3 of their first 4 playoff games. But once they found it, they kept building on it.

I don't know if it could be copied, but they made bold moves that I don't know other teams would, and they worked out. But over the decade from 2013 to 2023 there would have been a lot of second guessing of some moves. But eventually it all came together. Having a selke center in Barkov to me is the key piece. Without him leading the way, I don't think this would have worked.