Don't look look now the race for the bottom is in full force!

Only three points separate Buffalo, Edmonton, and The Copper State of Arizona for the worst record in the NHL. Sabres fans are up in arms over the team hot streak. How dare they go 3-5-2 in their last ten games. They're calling for the coach's head now that they can finally see their own above the melting mountains of snow that's surrounded them. Not even mother nature, and Lord did you ever try, could kill off these fans and their anger.

These three teams find themselves entrenched in a battle for 80% chance to draft Eichel.... oh, there's also a 20% chance to draft Connor McDavid. Being the worst in the league has never come with finer perks. What either of these two superstars would bring to the city of Buffalo, or possibly cement the Grand Canyon state of Arizona as literally the "world's hottest hockey town" is really unquestionable.

And by Arizona and Buffalo finishing at the bottom of the standings the Edmonton Oilers management would dodge a bullet and perhaps be forced to draft for need...maybe even get a defenseman.

I don't think anyone can deny that Edmonton has had their share of the opportunity to pick the best player available. In an era where no one can say enough about how important the draft is, the Oilers have proven that talent may NOT be everything. Meanwhile, the NHL has whatever the opposite of "spreading the wealth" is. These star players on the Oilers each could've had major impacts in markets in need of star power.

The bottom line is this. The overall impact of putting so much potential into one city diminishes the star player's overall value to the sport of hockey. This sum becomes much less than the whole of the parts, because there is only so much ice to go around, and there is only one puck.

To this end I believe there should be a quota on how many first overall draft picks a team can have in a five-year period. What's wrong with limiting that number to: one? If a team finishes with the worst record, they can still get the second pick in the draft, but to keep giving them the first pick feels foolish and oddly rewarding. So once a team gets a first overall pick that team must wait four more years before eligible.

I even get the sense Oilers fans would be okay with this. There is a lot of excitement in Buffalo and Arizona right now, but almost a sense of embarrassment in Edmonton. Not that they wouldn't be excited and welcome in McDavid, but these fans have been there/done that when it comes to rooting for your team to lose at the end of the season. I have found Oilers fans to be among the most passionate and definitely the most engaged in the league. They realize at this point that every time a new number one overall pick comes in it distracts from the fact that something is terribly wrong.

Now I know that many are saying not every first overall pick is a "generational player," and some of Edmonton's pics show that to be the case. But honestly, every first overall pick is, or should be, the best player of his age. Also, not every generational player changes a generation.

But maybe I'm wrong. Let me know what you think.


We will discuss this and more on today's Hockeybuzzcast, and today we will be joined by Julie Robenhymer, to discuss the college game as well. Live today at 1pm ET