I totally agree with your suggestion. We should limit one top pick per 5 years. Its one thing to be one of the worst teams and getting that first round pick to help your team along the road, but when your team is miss managed to an extent that it becomes a constant to a point of disgrace for the remainder of bottom teams... a rule must be made. This would also encourage ownership to remove all inefficient and bad GM's like McTavish.

Under Nelson Lander looks like something... otherwise earlier this year not so much... Either way the jury is still out on Stu the fat bastard and his minions...
- saskoil21

It's not who his coach is at the nhl level imo.
it's his time developing and who his coach at the ahl level was.
Them being the same guy doesn't hurt.

But I don't agree that lander wouldn't have gotten better at the nhl game if it wasn't nelson back there

I totally agree with your suggestion. We should limit one top pick per 5 years. Its one thing to be one of the worst teams and getting that first round pick to help your team along the road, but when your team is miss managed to an extent that it becomes a constant to a point of disgrace for the remainder of bottom teams... a rule must be made. This would also encourage ownership to remove all inefficient and bad GM's like McTavish.
- PtotheY

Craig mactavish has never picked first overall.
But you knew that right?

Straight lottery, equal odds for the bottom 14 teams. These teams tanking is embarrassing for the sport.
- Jordo

Then teams will tank out of the playoffs if they know they are facing a team they can't win against. The lottery system they have in place for next year is good. Teams still need to get rewarded for being bad because they won't get better if they don't...all good teams have tanked.

If ownership wants to fail then so be it. Let them lose fans. But as a player, I just can't see myself going out on the ice and purposely lose the game. I want to win. Nobody likes losing.
- Streit2ThePoint

I don't think Phil Kessel minds it though.

I thought we were going to be a pizza food truck?
- ChetManly

We need a driver,

I like a more complex plan where:

1) top 3 picks are an equal lottery to the 15 non-SC champion playoff teams, restricted to only can win 1x every 5 years. (thats win any of 1st, 2nd, or 3rd once in 5 years)

2) SC champ gets draft position #30

3) 14 non playoff teams slotted starting #4 by way of equal lottery

4) remaining first round losers get slotted next based on equal lottery

5) 2nd round losers slotted on equal lottery

6) 3rd round losers slotted on equal lottery

7) if not selected as 1, 2 or 3 pick, then SCF loser picks #29

This gives everyone an incentive to go all out every year. No McDavid unless you can make the playoffs. No increased benefit for coming last vs 17th, so tanking for the sake of a draft pick becomes history. It gives on non-playoff teams more incentive to play for pride and/or development of younger players

I am of the opinion that there should be no draft lottery. Although this season is an outlier because of the two talents poised to go 1 and 2 in the draft, I believe its an invite for teams to tank to get a "fair shot" at the next great prospect.

My proposal would be to eliminate the lottery, have the team who finishes last draft first. Then they cant draft 1st overall again untill they finish above the bottom 5. Every year in a row that team finishes last they get bumped down a spot.

For example, if arizona were to finish last this season they draft first overall. Next season if arizona finishes last again, they draft second. Finish last again? Draft third. This process repeats itself untill arizona finishes above the bottom 5 in the league.

It would derail "tanking" for last place multiple years in a row, and force teams to try and improve at least marginally to finish above bottom 5, to become elidgible to draft first overall again if they end up slipping back to the bottom.

i think all 30 teams should have an equal shot at no. 1 just cuz a team plays better doesnt mean they shouldnt get a shot at a top player. Look at detroit... being in picks 20-30 the last 20+ years yet they continue to make the playoffs. I think the first round should be completely random. 30 balls one picked out for each pick. not only would that make the first round completely entertaining and fast paced to have to make a pick not knowing where you will pick but it would probably make for more trades too. Then rounds 2-7 are based off final standings.

or have a playoff with the teams who dont make the big playoff. you win the tournament you win first overall.

I already proposed this.quit claiming this as your own idea. In fact I proposed this on these boards myself...

For the people who wine about rebuilding, or want to completely have the order of the non playoff teams be random...

Try and be realistic for a change. Untill the nhl has max contract lengths of 5 years, it will continue to be near impossible to land the best players through free agency and build a team. 99% of these players resign before they even hit free agency.

There is nothing wrong with selling off assets that will probably leave, sinking to the bottom for a few years and rebuilding through the draft. Its how sports has worked for a long time. Everyone has something stuck in there ass because this happens to be a year where a generational talent, maybe two are available at the top of the draft.

Eliminate tanking? Before the season starts, have teams draft other teams first round pick, withe restriction of being able to pick your own. No team would want to give away the first overall pick by being bad.

At the end of the day, I'm not sure why everyone is picking on a team like Buffalo.

The last two games, they went in and got 3 pts against two pretty good hockey clubs.

If Murray is telling Nolan to tank, he's not getting the message.

The only team that is really 'tanking' right now is Toronto. Buffalo, Edmonton and Arizona really are that bad.

You could argue that Edmonton doesn't 'deserve' another top pick, but it's not like the other two teams have been at the bottom for the last 5 years, scoping up top draft picks.

We need a driver,
- DDM-Coga

we are cooking while someone drives?

It's not who his coach is at the nhl level imo.
it's his time developing and who his coach at the ahl level was.
Them being the same guy doesn't hurt.

But I don't agree that lander wouldn't have gotten better at the nhl game if it wasn't nelson back there
- Ihateallofu

Maybe it was opportunistic- and sheer coincidence things clicked under Nelson- but prior to this last leg of this season all of Lander's previous attempts at the NHL were appearing as complete write offs...

At the end of the day, I'm not sure why everyone is picking on a team like Buffalo.

The last two games, they went in and got 3 pts against two pretty good hockey clubs.

If Murray is telling Nolan to tank, he's not getting the message.

The only team that is really 'tanking' right now is Toronto. Buffalo, Edmonton and Arizona really are that bad.

You could argue that Edmonton doesn't 'deserve' another top pick, but it's not like the other two teams have been at the bottom for the last 5 years, scoping up top draft picks.
- Charliebox

Why is Gregorenko in AHL when Sabres can't even score?

Why is Gregorenko in AHL when Sabres can't even score?
- BarbarianSavage

Why would you ruin a prospect on a poop team with a bad culture?

Everyone is pointing to Detroit and how great they are at drafting and grooming prospects.

Part of the reason they are so good at it is cause players like Tatar play in the AHL for a season (or two) longer than most teams would have them there. Tatar would have been capable of playing in the NHL much earlier, but would it have been the best thing for his development?

we are cooking while someone drives?
- ChetManly

it's been done.

Why would you ruin a prospect on a poop team with a bad culture?

Everyone is pointing to Detroit and how great they are at drafting and grooming prospects.

Part of the reason they are so good at it is cause players like Tatar play in the AHL for a season (or two) longer than most teams would have them there. Tatar would have been capable of playing in the NHL much earlier, but would it have been the best thing for his development?
- Charliebox

As Babcock would say "They have to be everydayers."

Eliminate tanking? Before the season starts, have teams draft other teams first round pick, withe restriction of being able to pick your own. No team would want to give away the first overall pick by being bad.
- Mentalorgasm5

Just PM'd you an application to Derek Zoolander's center for kids who can't read but wanna do other stuff good too.

Maybe I'm going to sound like a Buffalo (and Phoenix, to an extent) apologist, but to me, everything Murray did this year is exactly what a team should do that wants to rebuild.

Out with the old and in with the new.

He was able to get rid of a bunch of UFA's (as well as an underperforming Dman with lots of term left) and he brought back a bunch of draft picks and a young power forward in Kane.

At the same time, he didn't rush his prospects and ruin them.

Regardless of how strong this draft class is, McEichel or not, I would expect any decent GM who wants to do a full rebuild (and not a half-assed Brian Burke style rebuild) do to the same thing.

Now maybe the return he got for some of his UFA's wasn't the best but at the end of the day, they weren't likely to sign there anyways and a late round draft pick is better than nothing.

I like a more complex plan where:

1) top 3 picks are an equal lottery to the 15 non-SC champion playoff teams, restricted to only can win 1x every 5 years. (thats win any of 1st, 2nd, or 3rd once in 5 years)

2) SC champ gets draft position #30

3) 14 non playoff teams slotted starting #4 by way of equal lottery

4) remaining first round losers get slotted next based on equal lottery

5) 2nd round losers slotted on equal lottery

6) 3rd round losers slotted on equal lottery

7) if not selected as 1, 2 or 3 pick, then SCF loser picks #29

This gives everyone an incentive to go all out every year. No McDavid unless you can make the playoffs. No increased benefit for coming last vs 17th, so tanking for the sake of a draft pick becomes history. It gives on non-playoff teams more incentive to play for pride and/or development of younger players
- Lostinarink

Yeah, so a team like the Penguins can get McDavid That makes sense. I'm a Sabres fan, and like how the system is set up next year. Same theory as yours, except that it doesn't keep the bad teams in the cellars by giving playoff teams more artillery to keep making the playoffs. All your asking to do with your suggestion is have the rich get richer, while the poor stay down. Doesn't sound like parity to me.

So anybody but the very worst teams?


Another banger post
- Ihateallofu

you clearly don't understand what i meant. These three teams and their fans have all been aboard the tank train and some take pride in it. It would be hysterical and a big F you to the fans and a wasted year with how butthurt they would be. You must be one of them silly oilers fan

Maybe it was opportunistic- and sheer coincidence things clicked under Nelson- but prior to this last leg of this season all of Lander's previous attempts at the NHL were appearing as complete write offs...
- saskoil21

So Krueger was bad too then?

Just PM'd you an application to Derek Zoolander's center for kids who can't read but wanna do other stuff good too.
- Feds91Stammer

Awww that's cute, you watch really horrible movies. Is zoolander finally playing in detriot?