Utah cannot afford to fall victim to the siren call of "skill over snarl"; they need a better bottom-six core.
The list of teams are long: the 2019 Tampa Bay Lightning, the 2021 Toronto Maple Leafs, the 2023 Boston Bruins, and the 2024 New York Rangers, just to name a few.
These teams were amazing regular-season performers, some record-breakers, with great individual players.
But when the playoffs came, they all fell victim to the siren call of prioritizing "skill over snarl".
It also provides a cautionary tale for Utah's roster rebuild.
The team already has their future core in Logan Cooley, Julian Lutz, and Clayton Keller, but Liam O'Brien and Lawson Crouse are so far the only two bottom-six forwards that could be seen as agitators on the squad.
For sure, it will be hard to replicate the Lightning's "Grind Line" with Barclay Goodrow, Yanni Gourde, and Blake Coleman; or recreate Vegas' brutal fourth line of Nick Roy, William Carrier, and Keegan Kolesar.
But what cannot be denied is the impact these lines have on the game. They set the tone, both physically and emotionally.
It's probably good reason why Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy starts that fourth line nearly every game, including the regular season.
And it's no surprise, then, these lines carried their respective teams to the Stanley Cup, with Tampa Bay winning back-to-back Cups thanks to the "Grind Line".
So how does Utah start to build that bottom-six core?
A name that's come up in trade talks is pending free agent Jake DeBrusk, who has proven to be a bottom-six agitator and scorer.
Toronto Maple Leafs forward Ryan Reaves could also be an option, as well could New York Rangers forward Alex Wennberg.
Either way, for Utah to become a force, they need to embrace the physicality that makes the Western Conference so special.
It could be the final piece that might make them Cup contenders one day.