Pivotal trades that built the Stanley Cup finalists

Reaching the Stanley Cup Final is no easy task. It takes years to piece together a worthy roster, the front office carefully considering the implications of each trade offer they encounter. Moves that might draw criticism at the time can end up leading to a Cup a few years down the road, just as heavily praised trades can eventually push a team towards an era of mediocrity. Constructing a roster capable of reaching the Stanley Cup Final can be just as difficult as actually winning those 16 playoff games.

The Pittsburgh Penguins needed to merely tweak their roster during the past decade, building off of a pair of highly drafted cornerstones in Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Champions in…