Penguins Update: Building Through the Draft a Cautionary Tale
I was perusing the NHL standings yesterday and considering the plight of some teams. In particular, the ones that stripped themselves down to the studs in order to rebuild.
The Blackhawks, Blue Jackets, Canadiens, Ducks, Flyers, Red Wings, Sabres, Senators and Sharks all are in varying stages of a rebuild. Nearly all are having difficulty climbing back up the ladder to respectability.
The Sabres, who last made the playoffs in 2011 (!!) really jump out as a team struggling to turn the corner. After a decent start to the season, they’ve lost 10 games in a row (0-7-3) and are plummeting toward the Atlantic Division basement, with only fellow tear-it-downer Montréal below them.
Yet the Sabres are teeming with good, young talent. Tage Thompson is an elite goal scorer and Alex Tuch a fine power forward. J.J. Peterka, Dylan Cozens, Ryan McLeod, Zach Benson, Peyton Krebs and Jack Quinn are young forwards of promise. A pair of former No. 1 overall picks, Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power, anchor a young, puck-moving defense.