When Todd McLellan took over as the head coach in Edmonton, so much of his focus was on strengthening the belief system of the team. There was talent, for sure. Tons of it. There wasn’t, however, the resiliency necessary to maintain success during the grind of a long season.

The analogy he made to his team was that there are times during the course of an NHL season that are a bit like playing a card game. You’re going to get dealt a bad hand. In that moment, you don’t fold. You find a way to survive until the odds return to your favor.