Is the draft lottery working?

[The Crypto Guy]

Working perfectly.

-Happy Ranger fan

 

[New Jersey]

But Hughes might be. He's definitely in the top tier.

if the new jersey devils land a player that ends up objectively better than matthews there'd still be some negative spin on it like two/three years from now around these parts, we're prepared for it as always.

thanks tho. very exciting stuff, eh?

 

[weaponomega]

Speaking as a neutral fan, I don't think the draft lottery system is ideal. And I actually agree with Crazy Angry Brian Burke on this. I think there needs to be fewer teams in the draft lottery and there needs to be mechanisms in place so that teams can't get multiple top 3 picks within a span of 3ish years.

 

[New Jersey]

Speaking as a neutral fan, I don't think the draft lottery system is ideal. And I actually agree with Crazy Angry Brian Burke on this. I think there needs to be fewer teams in the draft lottery and there needs to be mechanisms in place so that teams can't get multiple top 3 picks within a span of 3ish years.

devils are picking first overall for the second time in three years, and also the second time in 38 years.

the oilers did this, guys.

 

[Leafidelity]

if the new jersey devils land a player that ends up objectively better than matthews there'd still be some negative spin on it like two/three years from now around these parts, we're prepared for it as always.

thanks tho. very exciting stuff, eh?

To be honest, I'm just happy it wasn't Colorado or an Atlantic team. This division has enough 1st overalls already.

 

[Paranoid Android]

Only rule I'd like to see changed is you can't win the #1 pick in back to back years.

I'd go further and say you can't pick first overall twice in a 5 year period. Other than that the system is fine.

 

[Toews2Bickell]

Working pretty well imo

 

[justafan22]

I'd go further and say you can't pick first overall twice in a 5 year period. Other than that the system if fine.

I'd make that rule a 3 year period just due to cyclical natures of the sport, but 5 is not terrible either.

 

[KingsFan7824]

Also, if the lottery was rigged, McDavid is a Leaf, and Matthews is a Coyote

Why would McDavid be a Leaf if the lottery was rigged? Bettman hates Canada.

What financial incentive is there for the league to make Matthews a Coyote? Are we still operating under the delusion that Arizona is an untapped hockey market?

Matthews would likely have been the best player in franchise history. Not to mention a home town boy, which is a big thing in Canada. If the lottery was rigged, Matthews should've been in Arizona, and certainly not Toronto.

 

[serp]

I'd make that rule a 3 year period just due to cyclical natures of the sport, but 5 is not terrible either.

Problem is not all drafts are made equal . Just compare some of the top of the drafts . 2012 and 2017 had weaker top propsects and then there's 2015 or 2016 where teams get cornerstone players.

If you get just a good player and get banned for multiple years while other teams big generational talent you'd be angry as hell.

 

[Ararana]

As a fan of the only team that's gotten boned from the 1st down to 4th twice, I think the system itself is fine.

However, I think it should only be the bottom 10 teams in the lottery. Gifting teams like Chicago who didn't miss the postseason by much with a top three pick seems counter productive. How does that make more sense than giving that 3rd OA to the Kings who drastically need it. Give these top players to teams who need them the most.

 

[Edmonton East]

Absolutely

 

[milehigh11]

The Avalanche has been screwed twice now. Really thought the hockey gods would right that "wrong" and give us at least a top 2 pick.

But we can still find a great player at 4 AGAIN.


Plus this pick wasnt supposed to be anything other than a late pick in the 20s when we made the trade.

 

[qwerty]

They can throw fits if they like, and I can call them stupid for doing so.

If they had never changed the rules in the first place McDavid wouldn't be a member of the Oilers right now.

That move in particular was made in haste, but ultimately, I think the system is fine as is. The league is so tight right now with all the parity that positions in the standings are being determined by a single point anyway.

If there's one thing to change, it might possibly be the weight of the worst teams to improve their chances slightly. But overall, I think draft lotteries are doing their job of discouraging intentional tanking. Drafts can be crapshoots as well, so reflecting that with a crapshoot lottery is sort of fitting.

 

[6ix]

I was thinking what if the lottery for the 1st pick was between the bottom 5 teams.

The lottery for the 2nd pick, the 6th worst team enters the lottery but the lottery is still between 5 teams (team that won 1st overall is replaced by the 6th worst team.)

The lottery for the 3rd pick, the 7th worst team enters the lottery, but again the lottery is still between 5 teams (team that won 2nd overall is replaced by the 7th worst team)

That way the truly bad bottom 5 teams get a good shot at a top 3 pick, but still not guaranteed. Also allows teams that finished a bit better than bottom 5 a shot at the 2nd or 3rd pick.

 

[FlameChampion]

Honestly I think its sort of working. I am not sure that theres any system that completely works. The reason why it will never completely work, is that it cant fix incompetent management.

While I think it makes sense that the worst team should win the lottery because thats the team that needs it the most, it also rewards teams with incompetent management. It hasnt worked for teams like the Oilers, Sabres, Browns etc very well or at all.

I am ok with the way it is now, but I do think they need to add some kind of caveat where a team is not allowed to win multiple times but in saying that, not all drafts are the same. Winning a lottery for Yakupov isnt the same as winning for McDavid or Crosby. So if a team wins the Yakupov lottery (who was a consensus #1), should they be disqualified for previous lotteries? The idea of the lottery is fairly simple but it is complicated at the same time. I do think they need to make some tweaks though.

 

[Tonneau]

I don't think a team should be able to win the lottery twice within a 5 year period. I'm not just saying that because NJ won, just my honest opinion.

So teams that win the lottery in a bad year should be punished for it? That's complete nonsense.

Just drop the lottery altogether. It's a solution in search of a problem.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

having a lottery at all is a waste and a solution to a problem that doesn't exist.

All it does is push the tanking to be for ping pong balls instead of spots...there's always going to be a race to the bottom from bad teams.

Leagues where #1 overall has far more value and impact, like the NFL, have no problems just using reverse standings. No reason the NHL cant. and ftr, the NFL schedule is far more unbalanced than the NHL's.

The big irony is the lottery gave Edmonton MORE 1st overalls than they would've had with reverse standings.

Reverse standings they only have 2...the lottery gave them 2 they didnt deserve based on standings, including McDavid

 

[Atas2000]

No, it's not working. It benefits random teams. If that is how it can or should be, why not ablolishing the draft order alltogether and just randomize it?

 

[blood gin]

Working perfectly.

-Happy Ranger fan

Look forward to a fun rivalry resuming

 

[Eisen]

The draft was there to make worse teams better and thus ensure a measure of parity. A lottery doesn't ensure that at all. To me, it's a farce.

 

[weaponomega]

So teams that win the lottery in a bad year should be punished for it? That's complete nonsense.

Just drop the lottery altogether. It's a solution in search of a problem.

Yes, punish incompetent management and continual failure.

 

[oXo Cube]

That move in particular was made in haste, but ultimately, I think the system is fine as is. The league is so tight right now with all the parity that positions in the standings are being determined by a single point anyway.

If there's one thing to change, it might possibly be the weight of the worst teams to improve their chances slightly. But overall, I think draft lotteries are doing their job of discouraging intentional tanking. Drafts can be crapshoots as well, so reflecting that with a crapshoot lottery is sort of fitting.

Bingo.

Personally I don't really give a damn if a couple teams want to tank in any given season so the lottery should just be scrapped, but if you have to have it for the leagues integrity or some such the odds circa 2010 were fine as they were.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

Look forward to a fun rivalry resuming

And watching the Pens at the bottom while other Metro teams have a much brighter future (once Crosby and Malkin start their decline)

 

[DJJones]

I don't mind the lottery but it was a poor response to the tanking/oilers problem.

Just limiting the amount of top 3 picks a team was allowed would have been better.