Devellano wasn't shy about his hopes to duplicate New York's blueprint. He promised a Stanley Cup in eight years. They would construct a champion through the draft, stockpiling picks, gambling on young talent. And that plan was to try to put together a good farm system and scouting staff and develop young players like the Islanders. The teams would follow a similar path.
Dynasties seem to be born that way.
But generally the bond comes from adversity. Obviously, that's what Detroit went through with Vladimir Konstantinov's accident, among other things. By 1990 the Wings had a nucleus in place. Expectations rose, pressure mounted. And each season they failed to win, the hex, their Stanley Cup curse, grew.