It’s still taking time to get used to. Looking at the standings and seeing teams that made a habit of enjoying extended playoff runs every spring occupying the bottom portion of the win column. Was it all that long ago that the Blackhawks and Kings competed in one of the best playoff series of this era?



But the turnover in the NHL right now is in full force. And it’s only going to be more dramatic as the young talent gap deepens and aging contracts look even worse. It means now teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs, Colorado Avalanche, Winnipeg Jets and Buffalo Sabres are jostling for position to be the next version of those great teams.



In talking about what was to come in Colorado, Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon put it this way: “We always say, it’s a good time to be an Av right now. I feel like we have 10 years, 10 chances to win.”



They’re on the cusp of becoming a power in the West, and the successful signing of William...