Ozzie30 170 Report post Posted April 9, 2009 I absolutely hate the weighted lottery system the NHL uses. Some guys around the office and I have been kicking around an idea to replaced it. Give the playoff bound teams a week off at the end of the regular season and hold a single elimination tournament as follows: Group 1: (teams 24-30 as determined by NHL standings) Group 1 plays for picks 1-7 with winner taking #1 pick. Group 2: (teams 17-23 as determined by NHL standings) Group 2 plays for picks 8-14 with winner taking #8 pick. Through the lottery, no team can move up more than 4 draft positions or drop more than 1. This tournament would allow a maximum change of +/- 7. IMHO, a tournaments woud have the following Pro's: -Additional revenue for non-playoff teams -Prevent teams from "tanking" the season for a better pick -Additional league exposer Good idea? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ComradeWasabi 109 Report post Posted April 9, 2009 That means that the "worst" teams don't necessarily get the best picks, which is what's supposed to happen. Ultimately the system in place now works and I don't really believe that teams "tank" for picks like people say they do. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Slave 31 Report post Posted April 9, 2009 i like it, but i can't see a lot of people packing in the arenas to see who gets a pick, especially when they "real" playoffs are still going. I could see the final game of you proposed tourney bringing people in but not the rest of the games. I do like the idea though Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MacK_Attack 108 Report post Posted April 9, 2009 The players don't give a rat's @$$ who gets the first pick...so to have them play a mini-tournament for the first pick is pretty meaningless. Plus, the IIHF would be up in arms if it costs them NHLers for the World Championships. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ozzie30 170 Report post Posted April 9, 2009 The players don't give a rat's @$$ who gets the first pick...so to have them play a mini-tournament for the first pick is pretty meaningless. Plus, the IIHF would be up in arms if it costs them NHLers for the World Championships. Your first point taken, but if the NHL instituted something like this the IIHF would have to change their schedule or simply not use NHL players. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MacK_Attack 108 Report post Posted April 9, 2009 Your first point taken, but if the NHL instituted something like this the IIHF would have to change their schedule or simply not use NHL players. Given the relationship between the NHL and IIHF is already strained at best, I don't think it would go over too well. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
timothy1997 0 Report post Posted April 9, 2009 what happens if a team like LA trades their draft pick to a playoff team? Do they play for another team? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MacK_Attack 108 Report post Posted April 9, 2009 what happens if a team like LA trades their draft pick to a playoff team? Do they play for another team? Exactly, or if a team in the bottom owns two picks? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Heroes of Hockeytown 694 Report post Posted April 9, 2009 Ultimately the system in place now works and I don't really believe that teams "tank" for picks like people say they do. Of course they don't. The players get paid based on what they produce, if they try to tank it they would be hurting their overall value. The NHL is a business from top to bottom -- the owners care about their bottom line, the coaches care about their bottom line, the players care about their bottom line. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LIDDYGIBBY5 1 Report post Posted April 9, 2009 Exactly, or if a team in the bottom owns two picks? A split squad game is the only answer. The game must also be played at a neutral site so there is no advantage to the home team. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
timothy1997 0 Report post Posted April 9, 2009 every team brings their goalie and top scorer, shootout with all the non-playoff teams. Oh and both the scorers and the goalie are blindfolded. Goalie who allows the fewest goals, gets the #1 pick. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheOwl 77 Report post Posted April 10, 2009 (edited) The draft lottery is stupid because it rewards poor management, poor playing, bad coaching, bad ownership and bad scouting. Look at Tampa, what did they do with their 1st pick? Got Stamkos, stuck him in a horrible system, and still finished nearly dead last. Where would Pittsburgh be without their 1st round picks of Crosby and Malkin? No where. It's stupid bad teams get the first chance at the best players. It bails out all the horrible decisions the GM and team has made. Why are the same 5 teams always in the bottom of the league? Giving them big fancy picks won't help them. They should just give the worst 10 teams, 3 "balls" each in the rolling sphere, give teams 11-20 "2 balls" and the best 10 teams, 1 "ball". So every team has a chance at the #1 pick. Edited April 10, 2009 by TheOwl Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
betterREDthandead 58 Report post Posted April 10, 2009 The draft lottery is stupid because it rewards poor management, poor playing, bad coaching, bad ownership and bad scouting. Look at Tampa, what did they do with their 1st pick? Got Stamkos, stuck him in a horrible system, and still finished nearly dead last. Where would Pittsburgh be without their 1st round picks of Crosby and Malkin? No where. It's stupid bad teams get the first chance at the best players. It bails out all the horrible decisions the GM and team has made. Why are the same 5 teams always in the bottom of the league? Giving them big fancy picks won't help them. You're contradicting yourself. It can't be much of a reward of Tampa still sucks even with the top pick. If "giving them big fancy picks won't help them" then why are you so up in arms about rewarding incompetence? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TheOwl 77 Report post Posted April 10, 2009 You're contradicting yourself. It can't be much of a reward of Tampa still sucks even with the top pick. If "giving them big fancy picks won't help them" then why are you so up in arms about rewarding incompetence? Because those players who are drafted by these backwards teams are wasting their careers, when they could be playing for a half decent franchise who people actually enjoy watching. It would be much better for the sport having 20 good, well run teams, then 30 teams, with at least 10 of them losing money, no fans, and who never make the playoffs. What is really the point in giving a team like Phoenix the first overall pick? It won't help them make the playoffs, it won't get the attendance up. The draft wastes good young players on teams no one cares about. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MacK_Attack 108 Report post Posted April 10, 2009 Because those players who are drafted by these backwards teams are wasting their careers, when they could be playing for a half decent franchise who people actually enjoy watching. It would be much better for the sport having 20 good, well run teams, then 30 teams, with at least 10 of them losing money, no fans, and who never make the playoffs. What is really the point in giving a team like Phoenix the first overall pick? It won't help them make the playoffs, it won't get the attendance up. The draft wastes good young players on teams no one cares about. I think all non-playoff teams should be in an equally-weighted lottery. Just pick the teams out of the hat to determine the draft order. It would certainly end any talk of "tanking". Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
betterREDthandead 58 Report post Posted April 10, 2009 Because those players who are drafted by these backwards teams are wasting their careers, when they could be playing for a half decent franchise who people actually enjoy watching. It would be much better for the sport having 20 good, well run teams, then 30 teams, with at least 10 of them losing money, no fans, and who never make the playoffs. What is really the point in giving a team like Phoenix the first overall pick? It won't help them make the playoffs, it won't get the attendance up. The draft wastes good young players on teams no one cares about. Again the contradiction. You can't have it both ways. Either the draft rewards bad teams for their incompetence and gives them success they don't deserve (Pittsburgh) or it wastes the league's best talent on teams where nobody cares (Tampa.) The fact that there are teams that have used their top picks to pull themselves back to contention as well as teams that stay terrible tells me that both theories are crap. I don't think anyone thinks Ovechkin and Crosby are wasting their talents on teams nobody's watching. Nor Patrick Kane. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ozzie30 170 Report post Posted April 10, 2009 I think all non-playoff teams should be in an equally-weighted lottery. Just pick the teams out of the hat to determine the draft order. It would certainly end any talk of "tanking". I agree. Everyone's brought up good points...I guess that's why its just water cooler talk. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
