Does not compute. They’re 3 years ahead of schedule, right?
Took them a decade to get there. And a bunch of high draft picks. And the Duchene trade.
2011: Landeskog #2
2013: MacKinnon #1
2015: Rantanen #10
2016: Jost #10
2017: Makar #4
Funny thing, they were awful drafters after the 1st rd, only hit, Butcher (2013 #123) didn't even sign with them, they also drafted Bigras (#32) that year.
You have to go back to 2009 for a really good draft, Duchene #3, ROR #33, Barrie #64.
Stole Burakovsky from the Caps for a 2nd and 3rd rd pick in 2020, Caps gave up on him after 4 seasons and sold low (#23)
Kadri - traded Barrie and Kerfoot
Girard - Duchene trade
Donskoi - FA 2019
Toews - traded 2 2nd rd picks for his RFA rights and extended him
Saad - traded Zadorov (obtained in ROR trade)
Compher - ROR trade
Nichushkin - FA 2020
Graves - traded Bigras
Grubauer - traded 2nd rd pick and took Orpik as a salary dump
Johansson - traded 6th rd pick