WC Handy said:
It's not about predicting anything. It's about determining the most fair way of setting the draft order and the only meaningful data we have to use are previous standings.... and any system that gives your Wings or my Blues even a chance at Crosby is ridiculous.
And any system that gives the Capitals or Penguins the first pick when a team like Columbus or Carolina might have deserved it is ridiculous. Obviously, that's impossible to say.
We have
no idea what would have happened this season, or even what may have happened. I don't remember my grade 12 math too well, so I couldn't tell you how many variations of the standings there are for 30 teams. It's a helluva lot, though. The only fair variation to base the draft on is the one that would have happened if there was a season. And we'll never know that. That's a one in
x chance of getting it right. I don't like those odds.
That's why I'm opposed to producing a draft order
purely on a guess. Bettman's way could be better (I'd give even lower odds to the teams that have consistently finished high, and probably even the teams that have consistently drafted high the last few years).
No matter what happens, it's certainly not going to please everyone.