According to Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman's estimate, it takes a player five years from the moment they are drafted to make an impact on the big club. Of course, there are exceptions. The most talented teenagers in the world can hit stardom faster than that, but typically, teams have to expect years of development before seeing an impact from a prospect.
“It’s important to have young players coming in your organization and it takes time,” Yzerman said when we chatted recently. “You can’t build through free agency. You need young players.