Which are the two teams (arguably only two) which have emerged seemingly out
of nowhere to be contenders? Buffalo and Pitt. The latter did it by
tanking and, by happenstance in the case of Crosby, drafting at the top of
the order multiple times in rapid succession - Fluery, Crosby, Malkin, J.
Staal. Now with a few veteran additions (Gonchar among them, admittedly),
they are poised to make a run. The former did it by collecting draft picks
and watching their prospects grow together in Rochester and emerging out of the lock out with a strong young nucleus, again adding a few missing veteran pieces.

And while I’m borrowing a lot of this from the collective thoughts of the
panel of Monday’s Prime Time Sports on the fan590, the Buffalo example fits
the Caps to a tee.

We have compiled a nearly unprecedented number of top round picks and
prospects the last several years, and are, through shear numbers, developing
franchise cornerstones - Ovechkin, Semin, Backstrom, Gordon, Green, Schultz, Morrisonn, and possibly also Fehr, Bourque, Jurcina, Finley, and Varlamov.

So the model, in the cap era, appears to me to be that which is being followed religiously by GMGM, which is - stockpile enough picks to collect
and develop about 4 solid D-men (Mo, Green, Schultz, ?) and 3 top forwards
(Ovie, Semin, Backstrom) and acquire the rest at the deadline (or the
off-season before!). Zubrus may be a top 2 line winger, but not a top two line center. As such, he was worth a wing position at best on line 2, and more likely a shut down 3rd line checking center, and asked for much more than that, by duration and $.

The youngsters, according to “the plan,” stay for 3-4 years and, as they become too expensive to re-sign, you pick and choose and let the rest go into the
FA pool. The window is then that same 3-4 years (unless you are the Devils
and can somehow continue to bring up drafted talent no matter where you
draft and how successful you were the season before). After that you
rebuild again. Otherwise you’re a team stuck on the cusp of a playoff berth
and first round exit year after year.

The summer will tell it all. We can contend for the Cup if we assemble that
second group, the “rest” to be acquired by free agency, the use of our enormous cap space asset. We absolutely must acquire a top center the likes of Datsyuk / Drury / Gomez this off-season, and also a D-man the likes of
Souray or Rivet - or insert your own dream. That should be the plan.
Otherwise, “the plan” looks like saving money rather than one that leads to
the Stanley Cup.

Let’s hope this all leads to a busy off-season and a feeling of real
excitement, and robust season-ticket sales, come September.

All in all a good deal for both teams, with no clear ‘winner’.

It sounds like niether Zubrus or Novotny will be playing for their new clubs tonight.