To acquire quality talent in the NHL, a franchise has to bottom out and get a lottery pick. There are other ways, but this is the most direct path which requires the least amount of outside help. Now, tanking as a methodology has its highs (Auston Matthews) and its lows (Nail Yakupov).
But, there is no disputing that high end talent on entry level contracts is the best way to develop a team over a period of several years. In years which feature a no brainer number one overall pick like this past year (Rasmus Dahlin) or next year (Jack Hughes) it creates a frenzy.