Who is we? There are fans of tanking teams admitting it takes 7 years out before you should expect deep playoff results. It's been tried to get.
There are risks, but are they worse than the alternatives. Vegas is a bizarre outlier. But there is about 1 team a decade that wins apart from this formula. Blues in 19 and Boston in 11. To me to goes hand with nfl teams that win without elite Qbs but elite defense. It happens in the range of 1/2 times a decade. You're not setting yourself for better results going to middling route and hope you get low odds great players.
"We" is general consensus among fans. This thread is a great example, and just after this thread was started 32 Thoughts did a segment about the realities of tanking. I think it's fair to say a large number of fans think it's a magic solution. I see it in the Sharks communities, especially with less-hardcore fans. They are mad that Will Smith isnt a superstar already lol.
I don't think there is a one-size-fits-all solution or formula to follow. What works for some wont work for others because of the variance of players, coaching staff, franchise location, ownership, etc
31 teams per year don't win a Cup. It's a bad measuring stick. Every single team in the league would have tanked to get McDavid regardless if it's worked out (yet) or not. Other teams with high-end talent that were criticized and mocked for years before they finally hit the right combination: Detroit, Chicago, Washington. It happens easier for some teams, harder for others. But if you're committed to rebuilding, there's no credible reason not to tank. Even now with the reduced lottery odds.
No it's not lol. Are you seriously suggesting that you want to be a fan of a franchise whose goal is not to win a cup? If we're judging the success of a league-wide strategy, what other measuring stick should we use that winning?
I'm also very clearly not talking about single season success. I'm talking about success of a multi-year plan. If Detroit makes the playoffs this year than the year is a success, but if they never win with this core than the rebuild was a failure.
Using any other measuring stick is just so fans can feel better about their team not winning. I'm a Sharks fan, we had the most successful team of the 2010s to not win the cup. That's a failure, not something to celebrate. Celebrating that is a loser mentality.