Ryan Wilson: NHL gets draft lottery result they deserve NHL gets draft lottery result they deserve

Somebody like Boston or Vegas?

They can't win the pick. It's not possible.

This is perfect so long as the Habs don't win.

This is perfect so long as the Habs don't win.
- BINGO!

It's interesting that you as a Hurricanes fan has Montreal hate while myself as a long time Sabres fan does not.

This is perfect so long as the Habs don't win.
- BINGO!

Leafs got their star, Habs are next, might as well just accept it now

It's interesting that you as a Hurricanes fan has Montreal hate while myself as a long time Sabres fan does not.
- kingcong39

Bingo lives in rural Saskatchewan, the last attractive female he saw was a cow. It's pure envy for MTL's ladies IMO

Bingo lives in rural Saskatchewan, the last attractive female he saw was a cow. It's pure envy for MTL's ladies IMO
- Symba007

It's interesting that you as a Hurricanes fan has Montreal hate while myself as a long time Sabres fan does not.
- kingcong39

It's more just anger that the Habs are involved in the ridiculous play-in scenario despite being an absolute garbage team.

Bingo lives in rural Saskatchewan, the last attractive female he saw was a cow. It's pure envy for MTL's ladies IMO
- Symba007

yeah but what a cow!

A few things...

It’s 7 teams not 8.
Were Pens fans against the Tank for Crosby?
Any real fan of hockey agree with Sabres & also their blatant tank job?

It's more just anger that the Habs are involved in the ridiculous play-in scenario despite being an absolute garbage team.
- BINGO!

Shots fired 😂

A few things...

It’s 7 teams not 8.
Were Pens fans against the Tank for Crosby?
Any real fan of hockey agree with Sabres & also their blatant tank job?
- Nighthawk

What is the difference between tanking and rebuilding other than terminology?

A few things...

It’s 7 teams not 8.
Were Pens fans against the Tank for Crosby?
Any real fan of hockey agree with Sabres & also their blatant tank job?
- Nighthawk

The tank for Crosby? There wasnt a season before that draft. Tanking was impossible. The 3 seasons before that they were dead last, second last and fifth last in the league.

Move along, child.

on any given year the first overall pick can go to any team not in the 16 team playoffs

this result is no different, what's the big deal?

on any given year the first overall pick can go to any team not in the 16 team playoffs

this result is no different, what's the big deal?
- Coburns_Nose

Except it is in this case.

Every team not in the bottom 7 had a greater chance of winning the lottery outside of Ottawa.

Team A didn't have to win the lottery, they just had to hope one of Team A - Team H won the lottery, which was damn near a given based on the % of combinations they had.

Team A-H made up 24% of the combinations of the lottery balls.

There is no difference between Team A or Team H.

The tank for Crosby? There wasnt a season before that draft. Tanking was impossible. The 3 seasons before that they were dead last, second last and fifth last in the league.

Move along, child.
- MattStrat

I love the lottery beats the race for last.

The tank for Crosby? There wasnt a season before that draft. Tanking was impossible. The 3 seasons before that they were dead last, second last and fifth last in the league.

Move along, child.
- MattStrat

Yeah. Of course we definitely tanked the Ovechkin/Malkin year. Rest of the time we were just bad and really that year they didn't have much talent left to begin with. Team was poorly managed for years with Jagr almost singlehandedly keeping them a mediocre playoff team.

Yeah. Of course we definitely tanked the Ovechkin/Malkin year. Rest of the time we were just bad and really that year they didn't have much talent left to begin with. Team was poorly managed for years with Jagr almost singlehandedly keeping them a mediocre playoff team.
- Tojo.

Look at the goalies Washington started that year. It's fairly clear what they are doing

Although the NHL does some dumb things sometimes it is still by far, by a long shot, the best of the pro sports leagues. It is not a corrupt as the NFL, not as greedy and money-driven as MLB, and not as as celebrity-oriented and excessively social-issue-focused as the NBA.

Really, this tournament is Bettman and co. trying to "make lemonade of out lemons". As long as all this stuff is just for concluding the 2019-20 season and does not cause any kind of permanent changes to the NHL playoffs and draft I don't think it is fair to go overboard criticizing it.

Regarding "tanking for Crosby" there are several things to keep in mind. The first, as others of said, is that the previous season, the 2004-5 season, was cancelled. At the conclusion of the 2003-4 season it was unknown how much of the 2004-5 season would be played. A cancellation of an entire season due to a labor dispute was unprecedented in the NHL. There was no possible way the team could have known in March/April 2004 that the entire next season would be cancelled.

The second thing is the reality of the money situation in the league from the late 90's to the 2004-5 lockout. The Pens were quickly becoming the "Pittsburgh Pirates of the NHL" due to simply not being able to afford high end players. Up until 2001 they had a super team with Jagr as captain but had to trade him and rest because they just couldn't afford them anymore. By 2003-4 their best player was Richard Tarnstrom. Had this situation not changed (and again they had know way of knowing in 2004 whether it would) they would have only been able to keep Crosby for a few years anyway.

The last thing is that the Pens still only had a 15% chance of getting Crosby, and thus an 85% chance of not getting him. With odds like this, while it may be fair to say a team is tanking for a good pick it is idiotic to say that a team "tanks for the number one pick". The days of tanking for the number one pick are long, long gone. The Pens certainly did it in 1983 (back when it was still possible) to get Lemieux and I won't deny that, but at the same time that saved the franchise so I am not complaining .

RW, or anyone really. NHLTRADERUMORS on twitter said that there may be players that if the return to play happens, may elect to sit it out for health concerns. They used a picture of Sid for the article. Is Sid practicing? Is he considering sitting out?

The NHL draft is an absolute joke. If a team is willing to tank and suffer the consequences, then they deserve a chance to draft in order according to how the finish.
No one talks about when Pittsburgh, Chicago and even Toronto did it, just that Edmonton, Buffalo, NJ and others cant get it right..The fans suffer and revenue is lost but no one ever mentions that.

The NHL has ruined the last fun part of the season...

Look at the goalies Washington started that year. It's fairly clear what they are doing
- ImThatGuy

Oh yeah, Pens weren't the only team tanking that year. And I remember Washington starting their AHL back-up because "they needed to see what they had in him."

Also true like the really long post said they were unable to keep anyone in free agency and ownership was looking to sell. They needed a cap too as it was becoming a have and have not league. Most of the years they had bottom 5 teams, they actually tried to win, they just had a crap team and a GM who the game had passed by.

Bingo lives in rural Saskatchewan, the last attractive female he saw was a cow. It's pure envy for MTL's ladies IMO - Symba007


All French chicks take it in the butt. They made good women in mtl

Oh yeah, Pens weren't the only team tanking that year. And I remember Washington starting their AHL back-up because "they needed to see what they had in him."

Also true like the really long post said they were unable to keep anyone in free agency and ownership was looking to sell. They needed a cap too as it was becoming a have and have not league. Most of the years they had bottom 5 teams, they actually tried to win, they just had a crap team and a GM who the game had passed by.
- Tojo.

"Tanking" is rebuilding through the draft. No other way to build a perennial winner in a capped league.

RW, or anyone really. NHLTRADERUMORS on twitter said that there may be players that if the return to play happens, may elect to sit it out for health concerns. They used a picture of Sid for the article. Is Sid practicing? Is he considering sitting out?
- Doogs

Sid is practicing. Rutherford said he doesn't expect any Pens player to sit because of health concerns. Letang said he's playing.

Just heard Price is considering sitting FWIW.