Yes, the draft is important and that is why we will have two first round picks this off season. And yes, we will all hope we will draft the right players at whatever number picks we do receive. And yes, we have been restocking via trades to get young players as prospects to add to the cast for coming seasons. I am sorry if you are bored now with the narrative.

I heard similar arguments about the Caps and how we didn’t know how to draft well and develop well. All it took was an organizational commitment to the plan; dedication; investment and confidence in what we were doing and now the Caps are looked at as one of the best teams in the league in terms of identifying, drafting, developing and retaining our young players. I know it can be done. We have done it here in the NHL.

But do you know what the new rules – if any – in the NBA will be? What will be the laws of unintended consequence?

The NHL looked very different before and after our rebuild time period.

There were new rules as to player compensation and to competition rules.

Being able to adapt and plan and have “optionality” for a new world order could also be of paramount importance.

There is never one thing that defines a change in culture or a change in systems or strategy. It isn’t as easy as writing a provocative headline.

For the Capitals it was a rebuild – a core of young players; adding even more prospects; developing a system for the players; developing a system and partnership with the Hershey Bears; and developing the Kettler Capitals Iceplex. It wasn’t about drafting Nicklas Backstrom in the second draft year of the rebuild although that helped a lot, too.

It isn’t one thing. It is everything.

Thanks.