The Snake Draft in Hindsight

[borro]

Everyone is now pegging the Caps last this year. Strange, the same guys said just a few weeks ago that we did not deserve a top10 pick. Now, without any major changes, we are a consensus last pick. The only word I have for this is hypocrisy. The Caps were not the only franchise cheated. Florida was too.I'm sure there are others. How can we go from not deserving a Top 10 to dead last. Maybe we should have had Brooks talkin' us up! Anyone think Mario deserved Crosby in hindsight. I don't! To those who would complain about whining, I offer a mirror. You would complain too if your team was cheated like we were! It's ok, we will deal with it. The bottom line is we were cheated bigtime! That's what you get when you allow a bunch of power brokers the choices.

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[Cerebral]

Everyone is now pegging the Caps last this year. Strange, the same guys said just a few weeks ago that we did not deserve a top10 pick. Now, without any major changes, we are a consensus last pick. The only word I have for this is hypocrisy.

It's not their fault that the Capitals chose to spend absolutely no money this off-season while their opponents all improved through free agency...

 

[Seachd]

God, this again?

How were the Capitals cheated? They were given a chance and ended up 14th. End of story. Now maybe MacPhee should actually focus on trying to make the team better so the Capitals aren't constant contenders for that 1st overall pick.

 

[me2]

Everyone is now pegging the Caps last this year. Strange, the same guys said just a few weeks ago that we did not deserve a top10 pick. Now, without any major changes, we are a consensus last pick. The only word I have for this is hypocrisy. The Caps were not the only franchise cheated. Florida was too.I'm sure there are others. How can we go from not deserving a Top 10 to dead last. Maybe we should have had Brooks talkin' us up! Anyone think Mario deserved Crosby in hindsight. I don't! To those who would complain about whining, I offer a mirror. You would complain too if your team was cheated like we were! It's ok, we will deal with it. The bottom line is we were cheated bigtime! That's what you get when you allow a bunch of power brokers the choices.

The only reason Washington are pegged to finish dead last is because they chose to do nothing in the off season. Guess what, if they finish dead last they will get a lottery pick as reward. How is that unfair punishment for them choosing to tank?

 

[Weary]

The Caps getting a lottery pick next year is probably more unfair to other teams than only getting one lottery ball this year was to the Caps. In this years lottery, Bettman just arranged things so some teams had a better chance at getting a high pick than others. The Caps are trying to ensure they get a high pick even no matter what happens.

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Borro -- I wish that the Caps keep getting screwed over and over and over again so that you could continue providing your intellectual insight. I appreciate your well thought out, neutral, unbiased and objective point of view.

 

[MagnusJondus]

Why are we crying? Because Alexander Ovechkin isn't selling alot of tickets. Boo hoo.

 

[Cerebral]

I personally really like the way the draft was run this year and I'd like to see something similar put in place every season. The odds of getting a top picked should obviously be a lot better for the lower place teams but a system like this would really discourage teams from tanking.

Heck, I'm a fan of the Oilers and very few teams got as "screwed" by this system as Edmonton. I'm still pretty happy with the overall outcome though and the snake style draft allowed the Oilers to grab two solid prospects early in the draft in Chorney and Cogliano.

 

[A Good Flying Bird*]

Everyone is now pegging the Caps last this year. Strange, the same guys said just a few weeks ago that we did not deserve a top10 pick. Now, without any major changes, we are a consensus last pick. The only word I have for this is hypocrisy. The Caps were not the only franchise cheated. Florida was too.I'm sure there are others. How can we go from not deserving a Top 10 to dead last. Maybe we should have had Brooks talkin' us up! Anyone think Mario deserved Crosby in hindsight. I don't! To those who would complain about whining, I offer a mirror. You would complain too if your team was cheated like we were! It's ok, we will deal with it. The bottom line is we were cheated bigtime! That's what you get when you allow a bunch of power brokers the choices.

When and if you finish last again, you'll get your shot a high round pick.
Didn't you guys have a pretty decent team two years ago?
Your owner decided to bail out and sell all his stars.
It takes a while to rebuild.
You've allready got Ovechkin.

So seriously, stop your whining.

 

[GKJ]

This was just the nature of the lottery. Whining about it won't do much. Some teams were going to get screwed while others cashed in.

 

[Chili]

The Sens have snagged guys like Hossa and Havlat out of the middle of the first round and a number of good players later in the draft.

The quality of the Caps scouting will determine how well they draft just as much as the position.

And if they are as bad as that, they will be compensated with a high pick next summer.

 

[dvaske]

old system

under the old system you only had a 48% chance of retaining the #1 anyway. It's more likely one of the 4 other worst teams would have won.

 

[mr gib]

last time i looked the vote was 30 - 0

 

[BigE]

The only reason Washington are pegged to finish dead last is because they chose to do nothing in the off season. Guess what, if they finish dead last they will get a lottery pick as reward. How is that unfair punishment for them choosing to tank?

As compensation, not a reward. Teams are rewarded for making the playoffs and compensated for not making the playoffs.

Get it right, because there is a huge difference.

 

[Hedberg]

The Capitals should have selected better and not went with 2nd-3rd round picks in the first!

 

[BigE]

Well Washington didn't help themselves by taking a guy they could have had in the 2nd round with their 1st round pick. They've made good choices with later overall selections (see Fehr, WHL MVP) before, no reason they can't do it again.

I always like to say that if you don't **** up the first round, your draft has been a good one. With that said, if your scouts don't have the ability to select an NHL calibre player within the first 30 picks, you're likely not going to be able to get one out of the next 180. If you can't draft in this new NHL, no amount of gifts are going to save you.

 

[HockeyCritter]

When and if you finish last again, you'll get your shot a high round pick.
Didn't you guys have a pretty decent team two years ago?
Your owner decided to bail out and sell all his stars.
It takes a while to rebuild.
You've allready got Ovechkin.

So seriously, stop your whining.

Nope, they didn't. They didn't have a "decent" team for several seasons. The team that Leonsis 'bailed' on was fighting for last place. A $50-million payroll team full of "stars" and "talent" never got out of the bottom five. Time to move all the overpaid underacheiving personnel and replace them with younger, hungrier players.

We're in year one of a rebuild ---- I have no complaints about the directions the Capitals are going. Just watch out - in three years the Caps are going to be a force.

(And not all Cap fans complain --- please don't lump us in one category).

 

[HockeyCritter]

The only reason Washington are pegged to finish dead last is because they chose to do nothing in the off season. Guess what, if they finish dead last they will get a lottery pick as reward. How is that unfair punishment for them choosing to tank?

Why is it when the Pens "sold" their high contract players and went with youth it was called a "rebuild" and when Washington does the same thing it's called "tanking"?

 

[HockeyCritter]

The Capitals should have selected better and not went with 2nd-3rd round picks in the first!

You mean by going after the same player the Flyers were targeting in the first round?

No one - and I mean no one has any idea of how this draft will shake out (despite what such "experts" as the Hockey News and CBS talking heads claim) ----- Phoenix went out on a limb last draft, Sharks did the same thing this year ---- did they make poor draft choices as well?

Teams received a "failing" grade by scouting pundits and various media organizations because the did not follow the proposed draft order as published by Hockey News or Redline.

2005 will go down as one of the wonkiest drafts ever ---- other than Crosby, nothing went as "planned".

 

[Hasbro]

The Capitals should have selected better and not went with 2nd-3rd round picks in the first!

Much less traded 2 2nds for a first.

Isn't the issue more with the lottery than the snake? Finishing low did have the nice consolation prise of picking early in the second, I'd love to see that regularly, but doubt it'd ever happen.

 

[Hedberg]

You mean by going after the same player the Flyers were targeting in the first round?

The Flyers were targeting Downie, but even if they were not, I doubt Philadelphia wanted Pokuluk and Finley

This year's draft was horrible for the Capitals: Sasha Pokuluk, Joe Finley, Andrew Thomas, Patrick McNeill, and Darren Machesney aren't going to be stars, although McNeill and Machesney may be steals. They also claimed an ineligible player and Tim Kennedy who has already been traded

 

[txomisc]

Why is it when the Pens "sold" their high contract players and went with youth it was called a "rebuild" and when Washington does the same thing it's called "tanking"?

Well because they havent spent any money during the offseason. There were plenty of options available and they took none. Perhaps they are banking on a better UFA crop next season? If thats the case they are probably pissed lecavalier and thornton signed.

 

[Evilo]

Why is it when the Pens "sold" their high contract players and went with youth it was called a "rebuild" and when Washington does the same thing it's called "tanking"?

- Probably because the Pens never had a deep pocket owner, unlike Leonsis.
- Probably because the Pens couldn't afford their star players, while Washington could.
- Probably because when the Pens fell down on their faces, there was no Ovechkin or Crosby available.

The Caps got one of the best prospects ever through winning the lottery in a year where they didn't have the worst record, but dealt away big player after big player IN ORDER to suck.
I'd say you really don't have to whine here.

 

[X-SHARKIE]

Everyone is now pegging the Caps last this year. Strange, the same guys said just a few weeks ago that we did not deserve a top10 pick. Now, without any major changes, we are a consensus last pick. The only word I have for this is hypocrisy. The Caps were not the only franchise cheated. Florida was too.I'm sure there are others. How can we go from not deserving a Top 10 to dead last. Maybe we should have had Brooks talkin' us up! Anyone think Mario deserved Crosby in hindsight. I don't! To those who would complain about whining, I offer a mirror. You would complain too if your team was cheated like we were! It's ok, we will deal with it. The bottom line is we were cheated bigtime! That's what you get when you allow a bunch of power brokers the choices.

Ovechkin ring a bell? 14th pick is not a bad pick, it's not the NHL's fault that McPhee F'd it up by taking Pokulok... and then moving two 2nds to get Finley.

Booo hoooo cry me a river. You guys lucked out in 04 and jumped ahead multiple teams to get Ovechkin, when he should've been the Pens, or the Blackhawks property. How abou the Hawks? they could've had Malkin but nope, they get Barker.

Yet the NHL Screwed you guys over right?

It's not the NHL's fault as well that McPhee and Leonsis won't pony up some cash and ice a good team together this year. The Pens seem to have no problem with it even though they only drew around 10,000 fans a game last year. So don't even say it's the NHL's fault you guys are going to be a poor team this year.

Also, how many picks do you need? The Caps had 3 1st in 02, and 04, a 1st overall pick in 04, and a good selection in 03 in Fehr.

I think there are other franchises that needed Crosby more.


And obviosly it's not ok, and obviosly you can't deal with it because months later you're still crying about it.


Borro, Once you realize it's not about how hyped your prospects are, it's about results on the ice from October to June and players getting it done. You'll be a happier hockey fan and enjoy the NHL like we all are.

Don't loose sleep over prospects or else you'll go crazy, and you'll miss the boat on what the NHL is all about.

 

[Evilo]

On the question of the snake draft, I like it. I like the fact the team that choses first doesn't choose before the 60th pick.
As for keeping the lottery balls as they were this year, I'm hesitant.
Because some years, having the second pick (Malkin) is just as good as having the first in some others, and yet you have one more ball.