Exceptionally Well Crafted: 3 teams poised for success now and in the future

Exceptionally Well Crafted spotlights teams whose rosters have them in position for immediate success, while also providing a bright future with the breadth of prospects coming down the pipeline.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Stanley Cup finalists from a year ago, the Lightning appear poised for another run at the silver chalice this season. The team's future will look a lot brighter if general manager Steve Yzerman can get captain Steven Stamkos locked up long term, but there will still be hope in Central Florida should he fail in that endeavor.

The franchise's farm system isn't as robust as it could be with so many top prospects graduating to the pro ranks in recent years, but guys like Stamkos, Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat, Nikita Kucherov, and Jonathan Drouin are all 25 years of age or younger, and in position to offer quality contributions for years to come.

At the back end, Victor Hedman is part of that 25-and-under cohort, and CHL Defenseman of the Year Anthony DeAngelo headlines a deep group on the farm. Also, Andrei Vasilevskiy, the team's first-round pick (19th overall) in 2012, is touted as the top goaltending prospect in hockey.

Winnipeg Jets

The Jets' unexpected postseason berth a year ago is just the tip of the iceberg in Winnipeg. The big club has size and speed to spare, and the pipeline is rich with high-upside talent that will keep the squad in the playoff picture for years to come.

A strong 2015 draft class, coupled with the deep haul of prospects that came over from the Buffalo Sabres in the Evander Kane trade, bumped the Jets well up the farm-system rankings. 2014 first-round pick Nikolaj Ehlers is the cream of the crop on the farm, but Winnipeg's biggest strength may be its up-and-coming defensive depth, headlined by Josh Morrissey and Jan Kostalek.

New York Islanders

The Islanders were back in the playoffs a year ago, but were again greeted with a first-round exit. The team may still be a piece or two away from really challenging in the East, but a healthy season from Jaroslav Halak will have them contending for a top-four spot in the conference again.

A number of quality prospects have graduated to the big club in recent years, but there are still some players with top-six potential on the farm, most notably Michael Dal Colle and Josh Ho-Sang. The strength of the team's farm system, though, is its defense. Ryan Pulock and Scott Mayfield offer plenty of reason for optimism on the back end.