Teams change an awful lot over two seasons. And if your professional scouting department doesn't already know the ins and outs of its competitors, your organization is already at a significant disadvantage.To me the most intriguing thing about McCrimmon is the work he did for the expansion draft with Vegas. They took a year to get to know every organization inside and out to get the best possible assets from them. He's a guy I strongly feel could find some hidden gems.
It's interesting that Vegas had a year to study other franchises to find the best quality product for themselves, but they were ultimately assisted by the existence of the salary cap in the end. Teams were willing to give them more assets to help them clear cap and protect specific players. Add that to the already softened rules of the expansion draft and you have the result.
McCrimmon in my opinion got a sweet gig in Vegas. I'm not at all convinced he has the know-how or the contacts to be an effective NHL GM though.