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I understand it was an article. But when someone else said Zadina should have been 5th on the list above Koke and Hayton, you said "No...Try again." The reasonable conclusion I deduce from your response is that you think Koke and Hayton should be above Zadina. You have explained why you think Kotkaniemi is still the better player. I disagree, but you at least addressed it. What I am wondering is why you think Hayton should also be above Zadina in a redraft based on where they are and what they've done 2 years later. Hayton has only played in 20 NHL games so far and only has 4 points. Based on those facts, I just don't see how anyone can make a valid argument that he is a better player. And you haven't made one either. You call myself and others "homers" because we think Zadina has been better than both Kotkaniemi and Hayton, implying that we have a bias for our own draft picks. But at the same time, you argue that both of those players are better than Zadina, despite the stats saying otherwise, especially in the case of Hayton. This gives me the impression that you actually have a personal bias against Zadina yourself. Bias goes both ways my friend.

I'm not sure why the NHL went to this every loser team gets a shot at #1 approach. To watch a team like the Redwings on ice every night with only an 18% chance at the number one slot seems like a horrid system to begin with. I hate the lottery format, everything is behind the scenes and seems very manipulated. GMs, ownership and the league should have a straight forward you finish last you pick first approach so there is no underlying doubt about any situation. The NFL has mastered the draft process, wish the NHL would follow suit.

Your take, as usual, is absurd. He was clearly insinuating something. The word "insinuate" exists because it's a real thing. A way of saying something without saying it. For example... Person: Don't you think Neo goes to idiotic lengths to defend right-wing dips***s who don't need defending? Me: My mother always said "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all". See, I didn't ACTUALLY say you act like a dummy sometimes in your defense of the indefensible but I sure did INSINUATE it. Not altogether different than how Datsyuk insinuated he was against homosexuality with his statement about the church. It's odd how people get SUPER literal suddenly whenever political or social obfuscation aligns with their personal views.

And the team's cap situation

now with the rumor of a 24 team playoff, that leaves 7 teams in the draft lottery. Only two more, I am sure there will still be rule changes about how many spots you can drop or jump. With only 7 teams, how fair is it that you still may be able to drop 3 spots? I like our odds, but it still gives perennial tankers like New Jersey and Buffalo a shot at #1 yet AGAIN! They should make sure that a team cannot move up more than 4. That means NJ and Buffalo won't get a shot at #1, but NJ could get #2, and Buffalo could get #3, which should be ok with them. Teams cannot drop more than 2 would be a good thing as well. that way Detroit and Ottawa won't be getting screwed. Even if NJ jumped to 2 and we fell to 3, I think all parties should be ok with that.

Sup Lefty. Imma do a deep dive on your post -- not because I'm trying to pick on you, but because the boards are absolutely dead and we need some good discussion. I think what makes this situation unique is that the hypothetical scenario that would help the Wings was being proposed. It's not like the system is already in place and "Well, whatever happens, happens. [wink wink]" The feelers were put out and there was a ton of pushback. Like I said, I don't really care what other organizations think; I want what's best for the Wings, other teams be damned. But, realistically, the five-team lottery was never going to be a thing. That's an interesting angle. Personally, I don't think other organizations would be all that butthurt over compliance buyouts giving us even more cap flexibility than we were already set to have. If every organization gets a compliance buyout or two, that's pretty fair to everyone, right? It helps everyone. Maybe it helps some organizations more than it helps others, but it wouldn't seem like the fix is in. The five-team lotto plan? That straight-up punches a whole lot of organizations in the gut. No upside for them. I think we need meaningful and immediate help at center; I'm not sure Rasmussen is going to be a solid full-time top-nine centerman and Veleno is probably still at least a couple of years away from being a guy we can really lean on. Whether that means draft or trade or UFA, I dunno. But I do think Yzerman needs to be looking. At the same time, I agree with you about the D situation: It's brutal, *BUT*...if you add Drysdale and an above-average veteran UFA or two, all of a sudden we've got a future foundation of Hronek, Seider, Drysdale, [UFA(s)], maybe Tuomisto. Granted, of the kids in that group, Hronek is the only one with any NHL experience. So, even if all those other kids are destined for greatness, it's probably going to be 3+ years before it all comes together on the back end. But I do love how this 2020 draft class is deep enough that we could miss out on the "top-tier" guys and still come away with a cornerstone-type defense prospect who would largely put the "OK, but what are the Wings going to do about their defense?" question to bed, at least for a little while. Even with all the attention and praise he's been getting, I feel like the average hockey fan is kinda sleeping on Drysdale. He has the skating and offense and creativity of guys like Hughes and Makar *PLUS* a pretty robust two-way game. He projects as a legit high-scoring, minute-munching, all-situations, top-pairing workhorse. That's what I love about a hypothetical core of Hronek, Seider, Drysdale: It'd be three well-rounded all-situations guys, any one of whom you could hard-match against the other team's top forward. I'd be ok with Yzerman taking Drysdale 2nd overall. I'm not necessarily saying Yzerman *should*. What I'm saying is, basically, no matter who we get, it's going to be a huge boost for our rebuild. We have needs at every position and we're going to come away from this draft with one of the skating positions "solved." Word.