The NHL should change the way they do the draft. Instead of rewarding the inept, terrible teams with the (potentially) best young players, they should reward the teams who do a really great job. Win the cup, get the first overall selection.
- 1970vintage

So Vancouver will be perpetually screwed, they will never win the cup, and they will never be bad enough to allow Bettman for them to win the lottery.

Yeah, mediocrity forever

Nah, whoever is the closest to the playoff spot (but misses) should be first overall...it will encourage intense and exciting hockey down the stretch by all teams
- CanuckDon

That's better, now there is a chance,

So Vancouver will be perpetually screwed, they will never win the cup, and they will never be bad enough to allow Bettman for them to win the lottery.

Yeah, mediocrity forever
- Makita

The current lottery/draft system isn't perfect, but there's a reason its basically universally adopted by any league with a draft.

The NBA's looked at just about every possible way to change their draft up but the worse you are the better your pick still.

So Vancouver will be perpetually screwed, they will never win the cup, and they will never be bad enough to allow Bettman for them to win the lottery.

Yeah, mediocrity forever
- Makita

Apparently anything is possible once you get into the playoffs. I thought the Canucks were a dark horse to win this year.

You'd have teams legit "tanking" out of 16th place to get 17th place in that situation.

Would get to the point you'd see a 10th place team try and tank their way downwards and all of a sudden you have the NBA where only 5 teams are trying to actually win.
- Lindenis#1

No way a team is going to “tank” out of the playoffs! Lol - veteran players encouraging a tank so the team can get an asset that will help a year after they are retired. Players play to win. Owners want playoff rev

No way a team is going to “tank” out of the playoffs! Lol - veteran players encouraging a tank so the team can get an asset that will help a year after they are retired. Players play to win. Owners want playoff rev
- CanuckDon

Teams absolutely would and fans wouldn't care if they got the top pick.

Any GM with a shred of security would be better off working to get themselves the #1 in that scenario than getting their teeth stomped in 5 games. Look at all the job security drafting top picks gets some guys. People want to give Benning 5 more years because of Pettersson.

13-18th place teams are usually 'okay' to 'fine'. Usually short of an elite talent or only have one and need another. Teams would totally try to game their way into just missing the playoffs to get that last piece and a GM would be dumb not to.

Ok, I could be on board with that.

So 17 to 31 (selections 1-15) then 8 teams who lose the first round, then 4 teams who lose second round, then 2 teams who lose conference finals then runner up and champ?
- 1970vintage

Look up the NHL Gold Plan. Probably one of the better alternative ways to do the draft

Teams absolutely would and fans wouldn't care if they got the top pick.

Any GM with a shred of security would be better off working to get themselves the #1 in that scenario than getting their teeth stomped in 5 games. Look at all the job security drafting top picks gets some guys. People want to give Benning 5 more years because of Pettersson.

13-18th place teams are usually 'okay' to 'fine'. Usually short of an elite talent or only have one and need another. Teams would totally try to game their way into just missing the playoffs to get that last piece and a GM would be dumb not to.
- Lindenis#1

It wouldn’t be 100% odds it would be 20% like he current system. Reverse order. You think a team will purposely not make the playoffs for a 1/5 chance to select a smurf like Hughes? (frank) no

Lots of good reading tonight, the NHL needs more chaos for the sake of interest

Teams absolutely would and fans wouldn't care if they got the top pick.

Any GM with a shred of security would be better off working to get themselves the #1 in that scenario than getting their teeth stomped in 5 games. Look at all the job security drafting top picks gets some guys. People want to give Benning 5 more years because of Pettersson.

13-18th place teams are usually 'okay' to 'fine'. Usually short of an elite talent or only have one and need another. Teams would totally try to game their way into just missing the playoffs to get that last piece and a GM would be dumb not to.
- Lindenis#1

How would you possibly manage that? Edmonton, Minny, Van, Arizona, Dallas, St L, Colorado, Ana all within a few points of each other and only 3 of them will make it. Plus you have the other conference to worry about. And you will have had to play well enough in the first half to be in this position. There is no way a team could “tank” to just miss the playoffs.

Look up the NHL Gold Plan. Probably one of the better alternative ways to do the draft
- NorthNuck

Yup, was going to say the same thing! Probably the smartest, though somewhat complex. It goes something like this:

Instead of a draft lottery system that encourages losing by awarding the best odds to the league’s worst teams, you’d determine the draft order based on the number of points each team earned after being eliminated from the playoffs. Once you’re mathematically out of the playoff hunt, you start the clock on banking points towards your spot in the draft order. The team with the most post-elimination points get the top pick, and so on down through the rest of the non-playoff teams.

The beauty of the plan is that it still weights the odds of getting the first pick heavily towards the league’s worst teams, because they’ll be eliminated first.

It wouldn’t be 100% odds it would be 20% like he current system. Reverse order. You think a team will purposely not make the playoffs for a 1/5 chance to select a smurf like Hughes? (frank) no
- CanuckDon

You'd have a few teams absolutely aiming to do it. One team would be successful and we know how stupid this copycat league is. That would become "the model".

Yup, was going to say the same thing! Probably the smartest, though somewhat complex. It goes something like this:
- NewYorkNuck

How would you possibly manage that? Edmonton, Minny, Van, Arizona, Dallas, St L, Colorado, Ana all within a few points of each other and only 3 of them will make it. Plus you have the other conference to worry about. And you will have had to play well enough in the first half to be in this position. There is no way a team could “tank” to just miss the playoffs.
- 1970vintage

Someone absolutely would.

You're giving the people running this league more credit than they deserve.

Yup, was going to say the same thing! Probably the smartest, though somewhat complex. It goes something like this:
- NewYorkNuck

I've liked the Gold Plan as the more reasonable option to give meaningful games to fans into April. I also support the idea of a playoff for losers where the results are the order - no more luck

Though rare, I think injuries and mid season surgeries would become more strategic in a system where the incentive is to win late in the season.

I've liked the Gold Plan as the more reasonable option to give meaningful games to fans into April. I also support the idea of a playoff for losers where the results are the order - no more luck

Though rare, I think injuries and mid season surgeries would become more strategic in a system where the incentive is to win late in the season.
- WhiteLie

It would be far less prevalent than the blatant tanking that happens now though

Someone absolutely would.

You're giving the people running this league more credit than they deserve.
- Lindenis#1

I think it’s quite the opposite. You are giving them the credit. I’m saying it would be too complex a process to dip to 17th, when there are so many teams in the running. Loosing down the stretch would have a team falling to 23rd, and the 6th pick.

Yup, was going to say the same thing! Probably the smartest, though somewhat complex. It goes something like this:
- NewYorkNuck

Not convinced. So many teams aren’t eliminated until so late in the season. If the Canucks are eliminated on the final day they have no chance, or a 100% chance. That doesn’t make sense.

Not convinced. So many teams aren’t eliminated until so late in the season. If the Canucks are eliminated on the final day they have no chance, or a 100% chance. That doesn’t make sense.
- 1970vintage

Fix the 3 point game problem and the standings will become more clear cut

It would be far less prevalent than the blatant tanking that happens now though
- NorthNuck

Beyond Buffalo literally trading anyone who could tie their skates and the Leafs doing everything they could to turn over the Burke/Nonis roster, and there hasn't been that much blatant tanking in the NHL.

A lot of teams are just poorly run, bad and devoid of talent so they sell off over the course of the year because holding onto a 31yr old UFA on their third line doesn't help them be any good.

I don't see that as tanking. Neither when teams shut down injured players late in the year so they can get their surgery and rehab started earlier. There's a difference between "we're not going to be good, but we just gotta ride this out, wait and rely on the draft" and "we have to become terrible".

It would be far less prevalent than the blatant tanking that happens now though
- NorthNuck

Agreed, but it would be a fascinating occurrence if/when it did happen. Even a legit injury that teams normally shut down guys for the season may try and get them back for the final 2-3 games if top odds were on the line

Agreed, but it would be a fascinating occurrence if/when it did happen. Even a legit injury that teams normally shut down guys for the season may try and get them back for the final 2-3 games if top odds were on the line
- WhiteLie

No different than rushing someone back for a playoff push, that one seems fine to me.

It would be interesting to watch

Fix the 3 point game problem and the standings will become more clear cut
- NorthNuck

The standings already are clear cut. 3 point games only confuse idiots in the FO and corporate buying base.

Not convinced. So many teams aren’t eliminated until so late in the season. If the Canucks are eliminated on the final day they have no chance, or a 100% chance. That doesn’t make sense.
- 1970vintage

Thats kind of how it works already though, teams eliminated on the last day get the lowest odds. The Gold Plan just rewards teams that try to win despite being well outside of the race. It would reduce the number of fire-sales at the deadline

Beyond Buffalo literally trading anyone who could tie their skates and the Leafs doing everything they could to turn over the Burke/Nonis roster, and there hasn't been that much blatant tanking in the NHL.

A lot of teams are just poorly run, bad and devoid of talent so they sell off over the course of the year because holding onto a 31yr old UFA on their third line doesn't help them be any good.

I don't see that as tanking. Neither when teams shut down injured players late in the year so they can get their surgery and rehab started earlier. There's a difference between "we're not going to be good, but we just gotta ride this out, wait and rely on the draft" and "we have to become terrible".
- Lindenis#1

I remember the McDavid year when Buffalo and Arizona played each other late in the year and they were fighting over the bottom spot. Pretty pathetic hockey to watch, you could tell they were both trying to lose