So over the past few days, as the dust settles from the trade deadline and the World Cup of Hockey rosters are being tossed around and debated....I have spent more time considering the NHL Draft lottery...and I keep coming back to the idea Russ Cohen, of Sportsology.com, the NHL Prospects Show, and of course the HockeyBuzzCast put forth last week on the show as we discussed how once again the Oilers will be a favorite to take home the best young player in the world into an already crowded lineup of riches...
I put it out there that while I like the new system which gives losing BIG less of an advantage, I don't think teams should be able to get the #1 pick overall in a draft more than once in a three year period. We simply can't reward consistent losing like Edmonton as shown....and we also need to spread the talent around a lot more....
I also HATE how fans of teams who are out of it are put into a position where winning isn't what they want to see. That feels wrong at the most basic of levels. A team that is already NOT going to the playoffs is left to keep losing instead of at least attempting to win some games and leave the fans wanting more than a win in a lottery...It all feels so empty.
Well, that is where Russ's idea comes into play.
He suggested the following...
Why not set the lottery odds at the trade deadline?
And when you think about it, yeh, why not? Teams who are VERY out of it at the deadline are not likely to catch lightning in a bottle and make the playoffs, and if they actually do manage to compete at a high level the rest of the way and squeak into the playoffs...more power to them.
No team is going to "try to be out of the playoffs" at the deadline and suddenly flip the switch...maybe a team in 9th or even 10th in their conference, but those teams odds of winning the lottery are so small as it is. Those teams aren't going to risk NOT making the playoffs to game the system for a 1-5% shot. I just don't see it happening...
But if Russ's idea was in place the fans of teams like Edmonton, who are starting to show signs of getting their game together again, could actually ENJOY wins. Leaf fans could greet the coming of young players who are battling with excitement and pull for their success...
And teams trying to make the playoffs or battling for playoff position wouldn't get a sudden free pass in certain games....
I don't see a single downside to this concept and I really wish I had thought of it! But Russ gets the credit here...
What do you think?
We will discuss all this and more on today's HockeyBuzzCast Live at 1pm ET.