The salary cap era of the NHL has changed the meaning of staying afloat for the Montreal Canadiens and the rest of the league. Teams who have windows of success quickly find themselves in the depths of the league as paying players catches up to them. The Chicago Blackhawks and Los Angeles Kings surely have no regrets after going back and forth for Stanley Cup Championships, but paying their stars has left them to where they are now, at the bottom.
Patterns such as these that make drafting and developing so crucial in a time where the salary cap dominates so many decisions.