The window was closed.
They made their run and came up short. It was still one hell of a run, all things considered - three Presidents’ Trophies in eight years, seven division titles in ten years, all while watching the greatest goal scorer of all-time in his prime rejuvenate a fan base, a rivalry, and, to an extent, the sport.
They spent to the salary cap to “win now” in a self-described two-year window, but they didn’t win then. They had the Stanley Cup hangover... without the Stanley Cup.
And then a funny thing happened.