Kuznetsov is speaking from his personal experience given that it took the Capitals many attempts just to get past the second round.
Alexander Ovechkin had been in the league 12 years by the time the Caps won the Cup and he isn't alone.
Nathan MacKinnon had been in the league 9 years before the Avalanche got over the hump and won the Stanley Cup in 2022 and
Steven Stamkos took 12 years before winning his first of two Stanley Cups. Sometimes patience is key and it is something that Leaf fans do not have much of for obvious reasons, but if recent history means anything, it's that teams that were consistently considered Cup favourites eventually had their day and were rewarded for their patience.