The Arizona Coyotes have been patiently rebuilding since their surprise run to the Conference Finals in 2012. They missed out on Jack Eichel and Connor McDavid in 2015 when they were the second worst team in the league, and might have made an error when they took Dylan Strome over Mitch Marner in that same draft. I’m open to being corrected on that as time goes on – but Marner had a serious impact in the NHL at 19 years of age.

The youngest general manager in the league though, John Chayka, has done a magnificent job acquiring long-term potential. Max Domi, Christian Dvorak, Clayton Keller, Brendan Perlini, Lawson Crouse, and Dylan Strome  represent a sextuplet of forwards who should become at worst contributing members of the top-9. Continue reading

In the spring of 2013, it looked like the Colorado Avalance were following a marvelous script. That beautiful, rebuilding script the media loves – the one Pittsburgh and Chicago had showed everyone how to do.

It went something like this:

Summer of 2013, draft Nathan MacKinnon first overall. He scores 26 goals and 62 points as an 18 year old and the team skyrockets to a 112-point season. MacKinnon has joined a promising young core: Matt Duchene is 22, Ryan O’Reilly is 22, Tyson Barrie is 22, and their Captain, Gabe Landeskog, is 21. Continue reading