Winning in the NHL can come in many different ways, from the fire wagon Edmonton Oilers of the 1980’s, to the close to the vest trap of Lou Lamoriello’s New Jersey Devils, and a hybrid in between. The recent string of Stanley Cup winners has had one thing in common, strong cost-controlled talent picked up through the draft.
This was evidenced this spring by the Chicago Blackhawks’ electric duo of Brandon Saad (More on him in a minute) and Teuvo Teravainen, or the strong bottom-six that the Los Angeles Kings displayed over their multiple Stanley Cup winning seasons with Jordan Nolan, Tyler Toffoli and Dwight King.