Factors like when generational talents are coming onto the scene are outside of an NHL team’s control when it comes to when to rebuild, yet still vitally important. In hockey, as in life, timing is everything.
The Penguins are living examples of that, twenty years ago they were at rock bottom, along with the Washington Capitals and Chicago Blackhawks who were bad at the same time. It was the right time for teams to stack up some great top-5 picks. Marc-Andre Fleury, Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby went to Pittsburgh. Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom went to DC.