For how steep the plummet was last season, the climb back to respectability figured to take time and maybe even include some plateaus.
That outlook for the Coyotes hasn't wavered; no one is confusing a recent 29th-placed squad as a Stanley Cup contender.
But after the Coyotes retooled their roster Wednesday by pulling five NHLers from free agency, including arguably the best center available in Antoine Vermette, their goal of becoming a playoff team during their rebuild gained credibility.
What's more, the infrastructure to let their young players grow — in the NHL or elsewhere — seems to be in place.