TheOtherOne
Registered User
- Jan 2, 2010
- 8,274
- 5,272
I think you have to look at it in terms of timeline. Look at it over say a 5 year period.But there is a logical reason. On average, higher draft picks will yield better players. On average, finishing lower in the standings will get you a higher draft pick, and a better player.
The idea behind the lottery is solid.... you don't want teams intentionally losing for that first overall, but I don't think it has really resulted in any meaningful change to the draft. You're still better off finishing as low as possible in the standings. Thus, the incentive to tank remains.
If your team has a solid backbone and you're competing every year but you have an off year and tank on purpose to lose as much as possible, chances are you'll get a 4th and be back in the hunt again next year.
If your team, like ours, is legitimately depleted, they will be bad for a few years without intentionally losing any games. The draft then supports their turnaround over a 5 year period with something like 6th, 6th, 4th, 4th, 6th. No luck needed here, just years of solid pretty high picks, that a good team with good development and good asset management can turn into a new core.
Then the franchise superstar lottery picks are sprinkled in somewhat randomly. They have to go somewhere, and there are 32 teams, and the NHL wants all 32 to experience some reasonable level of stardom in the long, long run, so everyone has a shot as long as they're not currently competing for the next Cup.