Shero's mission then was the same as it is now: Put together a solid core group of players and develop the youth around them. There's no magic, no luck. There's only hard work and time.
Fast forward to 2006 in Pittsburgh, when Shero was announced as the Penguins' new general manager. The team was at a crossroads, having finished last in their division for four straight seasons. Shero was the architect they needed.
In his first two years, Shero built a team around an existing core of talent: Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Marc-Andre Fleury. He orchestrated key trades for Matt Niskanen and James Neal. Players he drafted or signed making an impact now include Jake Guentzel, Matt Murray, Conor Sheary, Olli Maatta, Bryan Rust, Scott Wilson and Tom Kuhnhackl. His blueprint lead the Penguins to a Stanley Cup victory in 2009, and the team never missed a postseason.