Ducks, Lightning model expansion teams for Las Vegas

Few teams have navigated the NHL expansion waters like the Anaheim Ducks and Tampa Bay Lightning.

Winning is crucial in non-traditional markets, and the Ducks and Lightning have done just that, capturing Stanley Cups and establishing winning cultures. Today, both franchises are seen as consistent contenders.

Since 1991, the NHL has added San Jose, Tampa Bay, Anaheim, Florida, Nashville, Atlanta, and now Las Vegas, which is set to begin play in 2017. That's seven teams in the U.S. sunbelt in 25 years (not including the relocated Stars, Coyotes, and Hurricanes).

While most of these teams saw early success, the Lightning and Ducks stand ahead of the pack as the sole Stanley Cup champions.

The Lightning were the first to capture Lord Stanley, winning the Cup in 2004, after only 12 seasons in the NHL. That season, the Bolts finished with a franchise-best 106 points. The team then broke that record in 2014-15, posting 108 points en route to another Stanley Cup Finals appearance, only to lose to the Chicago Blackhawks.

The Ducks brought the Cup to Orange County in their 13th season, topping off their playoff run with a five-game defeat of the Ottawa Senators. The team was led by the defensive duo of Scott Niedermayer and Chris Pronger, plus goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere, who three years earlier nearly led the Ducks to the Cup with a heroic playoff campaign.

In 22 years, the Ducks have qualified for the playoffs on 12 occasions, losing in the first round only five times. In other words, when the Ducks make the playoffs, there's a better-than-not chance they'll advance. Anaheim has made it to Round 3 or later four times since 2003.

But that's not to say the NHL's other new faces haven't had some levels of success. The road has just been longer and the silver mug hasn't yet made it to the Bay Area, Sunrise, or the Music City.

In their inaugural season, the Sharks led the league with an embarrassing 58 losses, only to top that feat a year later with 71 losses and a lowly 11 wins. But the dark days soon got brighter. From 1998 to 2014, the Sharks missed the playoffs just once, even running a 10-year playoff streak. Last season was the Sharks' best to date, as they advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals, only to fall to the Pittsburgh Penguins in a six-game battle.

The Florida Panthers were the most impressive expansion franchise early on, finishing their first season with 83 points, just one shy of the playoffs. Two years later, the team went on a Cinderella run to the Stanley Cup Finals (you remember the rats?), led by winger Scott Mellanby and goalie John Vanbiesbrouck, only to lose to the Colorado Avalanche.

But the success didn't last for the Panthers. After the 1996 playoffs, the team was lost in the hockey wilderness, with just two playoff appearances in the next 14 years, including an NHL-record 10-year playoff dry spell (although the Edmonton Oilers may have something to say about that). The Panthers are now on the right track, finishing atop the Atlantic Division last season.

In Nashville, the Predators have emerged as a legitimate Stanley Cup threat. Part of the reason Nashville found early success was its hiring of general manager David Poile (still with the club) and head coach Barry Trotz, now with the Washington Capitals. In acquiring offensive juggernauts like Filip Forsberg and P.K. Subban, the Predators have shed their defense-first label, adding an offensive threat to their arsenal.

Though no longer with us, the Atlanta Thrashers serve as the expansion example of what not to do (think of George Costanza's "The Opposite"). Part of the reason the Thrashers now call Winnipeg home is because of their lack of on-ice success. It's difficult to draw interest when you win just 56 of your first 246 games. Through 11 seasons, the Thrashers made the playoffs just once, a sweep at the hands of the New York Rangers. Eleven years and zero playoff wins.

Emulating the early success of the Ducks and Lightning will serve hockey well in Sin City, and hiring an experienced GM like George McPhee puts Las Vegas on the right track for early returns.