The art of a successful rebuild can elude NHL franchise for decades at a time. The Carolina Hurricanes have been in a perpetual rebuilding mode since they won the Stanley Cup way back in 2006. The Buffalo Sabres have not finished higher than fifth since the 2011-2012 season. There is a reason that these teams seemingly never get out of the woods.
Whether it be poor trades, bad drafts or bad contracts, the league’s bottom feeders typically stay that way. For the better part of this decade, the New York Rangers have been amongst the most consistent teams in the entire NHL.