That's actually a very good point. We always refer to "it's only their 4th rebuild season" but if it wasn't for Covid, they wouldn't have made the playoffs since 2017
In 2021, they made it due to the special division re-alignement. Dallas and NYR even finished with more points and didn't make the playoffs. 4 teams from each division were making the playoffs and the North was the weakest one.
In 2020, they won a qualifying round due to 24 teams making the playoffs after the pandemic outbreak. They had the 12th best P% in the East, wouldn't have been near a playoffs spot in a normal year.
25th was in 2017 as they finished higher in the standings but lost in first round. Outside of that 2021 miracle run, they have been as bad as other rebuilding teams since 2018
I think all of this might explain a little bit why they are doing well "early" in their rebuild. Suzuki, Caufield, Guhle, Evans, Struble come from Bergevin's era. Also prospects Joshua Roy, Logan Mailloux and Oliver Kapanen. Artturi Lehkonen got them Carrier and Michael Hage if I'm not mistaken. Petry and Poehling got them Matheson. Romanov got them Dach. However it took some very good moves from Hughes/Gorton for it to happen.
This is the overall NHL ranking in P% from 2017-18 to 2023-24 :
32nd : Chicago Blackhawks
31st : Detroit Red Wings
30th : Ottawa Senators
29th : Anaheim Ducks
28th : Arizona Coyotes
27th : Buffalo Sabres
26th : Montréal Canadiens
25th : San Jose Sharks
26th overall in the last 7 seasons is the shit team the other poster was referring too.