Rebuild is a dreaded word in the NHL. While long, drawn-out rebuilds, such as those being undertaken by the San Jose Sharks and Chicago Blackhawks, are still considered the best path to sustaining long-term success, other teams are demonstrating that quick retools can also lead to a return to competitiveness.
The most notable examples are the Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals and Boston Bruins. How sustainable these quick retools are over the long run remains to be seen, but they’ve shown that with some shrewd moves, you can get back in the playoff hunt sooner rather than later.
Capitals Were Ahead of the Curve
Before the Penguins and Bruins, there were the Capitals, who had a busy 2024 offseason retooling their roster. The Capitals made the playoffs during the 2023-24 season, but they failed upward because no one was interested in claiming that final wild-card spot.
What the Capitals’ front office did during the 2024 offseason was nothing short of superb. Almost every move they made turned out to be a home run. They acquired Jakob Chychrun in a trade, and he’s proven to be one of the best offensive defenseman in the NHL in his time with the Capitals.
In addition to Chychrun, the Capitals acquired Pierre-Luc Dubois from the Los Angeles Kings. It was a risky move at the time, given how his short time in Los Angeles went, but he’s turned his career around and become one of the better second-line centers in the NHL. His long-term injury this season is a significant reason why the Capitals have regressed from their outstanding 2024-25 campaign.
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Another reason for the Capitals’ success is that they’ve found a Vezina-caliber goalie in Logan Thompson. He had a career year in 2024-25 and has proven this season that it wasn’t a fluke. He’s even earned a spot on Canada’s Olympic team and would likely be their starter if not for Jordan Binnington proving his worth on the international stage.
Lastly, on defense, the Capitals signed Matt Roy in free agency. Roy was always an underrated defender in his time with the Kings, and he’s shown why with the Capitals. He’s an excellent top-four defenseman.
A key aspect of the Capitals’ rebuild is that most of the players they acquired during the 2024 offseason were under the age of 30. They’ve also drafted incredibly well over the last few years, with top prospects such as Andrew Cristall, Ryan Leonard, Ilya Protas and Cole Hutson set to make an impact in the NHL in the near future. They may not make the playoffs this season, but they’re set up for long-term success.
Penguins Took Some Notes From the Capitals
The NHL is a copycat league. That’s not to say that the Penguins and Bruins have done exactly what the Capitals did nearly two offseasons ago, but there are some similarities.
Let’s start with the Penguins, who have been one of the biggest surprises of the NHL season. They currently occupy second place in the Metropolitan Division and look like a good bet to make the playoffs at this point in the season. It begins with the moves made by general manager Kyle Dubas this past offseason.
Among his free-agent signings were Anthony Mantha and Justin Brazeau. Mantha was somewhat of an unknown since he was coming off a torn ACL, but there have been no lingering effects from that injury. He has 20 goals and 42 points in 56 games at the Olympic break and will likely cash in during free agency this summer.
Kyle Dubas, Pittsburgh Penguins President of Hockey Ops (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
Meanwhile, Brazeau has 15 goals and 27 points in 42 games, career-highs by a comfortable margin. His success is a bit more percentage-driven than Mantha, who’s been a proven 20-goal scorer in the past. But he’s also been instrumental in helping the Penguins, who almost everyone thought would be in the race for Gavin McKenna this season, hold down a playoff spot in the Metro.
Dubas has also been active on the trade market over the last year-plus, most notably acquiring Thomas Novak and Egor Chinakhov, both of whom have been valuable middle-six contributors since joining the Penguins. Chinakhov, in particular, has been excellent in the 18 games he’s played with the Penguins, totaling eight goals and 12 points.
Like the Capitals, Dubas has drafted quite well in his time with the Penguins. Ben Kindel has been one of the best rookies in the NHL this season. He may not win the Calder Trophy, but he will get votes. Time will tell if the Penguins can sustain this success next season, but they’ve retooled their roster with young talent to complement their legacy players, who still have plenty in the tank.
And About Those Bruins
The Bruins have quietly made a few impact additions over the last year, and that’s helped them regain their footing in a very difficult Atlantic Division. It started at last season’s trade deadline, with GM Don Sweeney acquiring Fraser Minten, Marat Khustnutdinov and Casey Mittelstadt in separate trades.
Minten, who was one of the Toronto Maple Leafs’ top prospects, came over in the trade involving Brandon Carlo. He’s quietly had a solid rookie season, totaling 14 goals and 29 points in 57 games. Mittelstadt’s production is about the same, as he has 28 points in 47 games.
Meanwhile, Khustnutdinov has 12 goals and 26 points in 52 games. The Bruins acquired him in the deal that sent Brazeau to the Minnesota Wild at last season’s trade deadline. All three of these players are centers. In one trade deadline, the Bruins completely revamped their center depth, and it’s a significant reason why they’re 32-20-5 at the Olympic break.
Even this past offseason, the Bruins made shrewd moves, like acquiring Viktor Arvidsson in a trade with the Edmonton Oilers and signing Michael Eyssimont in free agency. And like the Penguins and Capitals, most of these players are in their 20s. They’ve set themselves up to sustain this past the 2025-26 season, even though they have not drafted as well as the Penguins and Capitals.
Coaching Hires Have Made an Impact
It would be remiss of me not to mention the coaches these organizations have hired over the last couple of seasons. Spencer Carbery has established himself as one of the better young coaches in the NHL, but the Penguins and Bruins have also made great hires.
Dan Muse may not win the Jack Adams this season. That will probably go to Jared Bednar or Jon Cooper, but it’s hard to ignore what Muse has done in Pittsburgh. They’ve become one of the most exciting offensive teams in the NHL, and that’s a credit to Muse changing how the team plays.
Marco Sturm has done quite a job himself in Boston, too. The Bruins’ five-on-five numbers are not at the levels of the Penguins, but he’s getting the most out of that roster and has been key in developing young players like Minten and Khustnutdinov. He looks like a keeper.
Carbery, Sturm and Muse did not have NHL head coaching experience before getting hired by their organizations. NHL teams recycling the same coaches has always been a hot topic on social media. However, Sturm, Muse and Carbery show that fresh ideas are out there waiting for their chance. You don’t need to have previous head coaching experience to be a successful head coach in the NHL.
Long, drawn-out rebuilds still provide the best path to becoming long-term Stanley Cup contenders. But in the short-term, these teams have shown that with a few shrewd moves, you don’t always have to opt for the long, drawn-out rebuild if you want to become playoff contenders.
