As a sport, hockey focuses on the short term. We tend to think in terms of 45-second shifts, 2-minute power plays, and at most, 20-minute periods. But hockey teams take longer to build - years, not days - largely because it takes a while before you can really see and feel the effects of decisions in the board room. The 2014-2015 Toronto Maple Leafs season forced everyone to see and feel the effects of decisions in the board room.
It's not just the 2014 trades - although they shouldn't be forgotten. I mean, who can forget Nonis admitting that he traded a self-described 2nd-pairing Gunnarsson for a 3rd-pairing Polak while retaining salary and losing a pick in the deal?