Obviously doggin' it

[PatrikBerglund]

Imagine that next years draft included a generational player with more assumed talent than anyone who has ever lived.


What would happen if a GM deliberately sent his best 10 players down to the AHL/loaned them out to clubs in Europe, and called upp/signed the least talented players he could find for that season - to obviously end up dead last in the NHL (for the best chance to snatch #1 pick).

Are there any rules against deliberately tanking?

Click to read more...

 

[RonEllisFan]

Would you buy a ticket to watch that?

 

[Akrapovince]

I know its a question about logistics and rules, in which I'm not sure about,

but if Dahlen was the second coming of Bobby Orr,

you might just want to finish outside the top 3 to win the lottery.

Just ask Jersey.

 

[PatrikBerglund]

Would you buy a ticket to watch that?

I think that a lot of depressed fans of talentless franchises would be okay with one year of total shame, if it gave them a chance to have the best player in the history, the following 15 years.

 

[Revelation]

Would you buy a ticket to watch that?

Sabres fans cheered like crazy when Buffalo locked in 30 OA in 2015

 

[Plural]

Isn't the lottery supposed to eliminate the point of all-out tanking? In principle, there probably is nothing stopping for GM to ice a team as bad as he want's but I don't know is anyone would go to such extremes especially when finishing last doesn't guarantee you the top pick.

 

[Akrapovince]

Isn't the lottery supposed to eliminate the point of all-out tanking? In principle, there probably is nothing stopping for GM to ice a team as bad as he want's but I don't know is anyone would go to such extremes especially when finishing last doesn't guarantee you the top pick.

And players wouldn't want to resign, sign in free-agency, etc

Look at Drouin getting sent down.

I think the question was again, logistics and honestly, I think the league would say something.

Surely there is a rulebook stipulation?

 

[FrozenJagrt]

It's happened before. Pittsburgh and Ottawa both tanked. Ottawa management even allegedly approached a group of their players and guaranteed them roster spots for the following season if they played at less than 100%, and were apparently prepared to yank their goalie in the final game of the season to ensure a loss against Buffalo to clinch the Daigle pick. Nothing came of it, except some "investigation" and maybe stern words behind closed doors from the commissioner.

 

[WayneSid9987]

^Bribing your players is totally different than staying within the rules and trading away your top players, sending players to the minors, starting a crap goaltender.

As for the Op, you wouldn't/don't have to go to that extreme. Doesn't have to be a huge exodus of your roster.
Just take the Avalanche for instance.
They could trade Duchene for peanuts, Trade away a Barrie. Maybe a Landeskog too.
And just reap the benefits of the talent thats coming in the next 2 or 3 yrs in drafts.
It's what i'd do if i were Sakic.

Just a simple trade of Phil Kessel for peanuts landed TOR Matthews.
It's not that difficult to tank legally.

 

[SotasicA]

That GM would not have a job by the time the super prodigy skates for the team. Nor the coach.

 

[Fig]

Imagine that next years draft included a generational player with more assumed talent than anyone who has ever lived.


What would happen if a GM deliberately sent his best 10 players down to the AHL/loaned them out to clubs in Europe, and called upp/signed the least talented players he could find for that season - to obviously end up dead last in the NHL (for the best chance to snatch #1 pick).

Are there any rules against deliberately tanking?

Nope, but it might spur on a rule change.

Honestly speaking, your suggestion is too complicated. Just get the team to hang out with kids with the flu for most of their charity work, accidentally give the team (or just the goalies) food poisoning, play a player 25 minutes a night to bring yourself back up the standing, until he breaks...

At least you can claim you weren't tanking.

 

[Sky04]

That GM would not have a job by the time the super prodigy skates for the team. Nor the coach.

This, makes no sense for any GM to do that, I'm not sure why people can't comprehend this.

 

[Aceboogie]

The team would still somehow do better than the Avs

 

[Brodeur]

Imagine that next years draft included a generational player with more assumed talent than anyone who has ever lived.

And even if you finished last, you would have an 82% chance of not having the top pick. That's the main deterrent.

Nevermind the logistics of being able to send down players without them being claimed or having the move blocked by an NMC.

 

[Cheddabombs]

I know its a question about logistics and rules, in which I'm not sure about,

but if Dahlen was the second coming of Bobby Orr,

you might just want to finish outside the top 3 to win the lottery.

Just ask Jersey.

It's true.

Just to confirm though ask Philly and Dallas, I think their chances of winning were even less likely.