While it is true players as a collective don't tank, do you think individual players may tank?

[Bjornar Moxnes]

So it's no secret that every player plays with a lot of pride and as a result as a collective refuses to tank even though it'll benefit the team for higher odds at a higher pick. But do you think scenarios where individual players may tank?

For example let's say you were drafted 3rd overall on a bad team and your team continues to be awful in your rookie season. The first overall pick is speculated to be your best friend and junior team mate in this particular draft year. Would it be possible for said player to purposefully play worse to increase his team's odds of drafting 1st overall to pick his bestie?

Then there's also a scenario where once your team is already out of the playoff picture and you happen to face your childhood team that could bubble into the playoffs. Would said player secretly play bad against his childhood team but play competitive against all other teams?

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[Pablo El Perro]

No

 

[dgibb10]

So it's no secret that every player plays with a lot of pride and as a result as a collective refuses to tank even though it'll benefit the team for higher odds at a higher pick. But do you think scenarios where individual players may tank?

For example let's say you were drafted 3rd overall on a bad team and your team continues to be awful in your rookie season. The first overall pick is speculated to be your best friend and junior team mate in this particular draft year. Would it be possible for said player to purposefully play worse to increase his team's odds of drafting 1st overall to pick his bestie?

Then there's also a scenario where once your team is already out of the playoff picture and you happen to face your childhood team that could bubble into the playoffs. Would said player secretly play bad against his childhood team but play competitive against all other teams?

NHL player actively decimating their future earnings potential for basically the same odds at a player? Yeah f*** no.

You are much better off just demanding a trade to wherever he gets drafted too, or having your best friend demand a trade to whatever team you play on.

 

[The Burdened]

I could see players "tank" to try and get a coach fired. That is about it.

 

[Pablo El Perro]

NHL player actively decimating their future earnings potential for basically the same odds at a player? Yeah f*** no.

You are much better off just demanding a trade to wherever he gets drafted too, or having your best friend demand a trade to whatever team you play on.

You missed the part about your childhood team making the playoffs

 

[DingDongCharlie]

Hard no. Most prospects take years to make the NHL and no veteran is sitting there thinking about the clubs draft positions.

As for young players trying to establish themselves internationally playing bad would be a risky, risky move.

 

[Edmund Ironside]

While I agree that no player would intentionally lose or “tank”, we do see every players essentially coast out the year, or at the very least not attack every game like players on a team fighting to make the playoffs. It’s not strategic, but just how motivated can you get in March playing through an 80 point campaign with no shot at meaningful games?

 

[Pablo El Perro]

While I agree that no player would intentionally lose or “tank”, we do see every players essentially coast out the year, or at the very least not attack every game like players on a team fighting to make the playoffs. It’s not strategic, but just how motivated can you get in March playing through an 80 point campaign with no shot at meaningful games?

PLD? Is this you?

 

[DingDongCharlie]

While I agree that no player would intentionally lose or “tank”, we do see every players essentially coast out the year, or at the very least not attack every game like players on a team fighting to make the playoffs. It’s not strategic, but just how motivated can you get in March playing through an 80 point campaign with no shot at meaningful games?

Funny thing is teams out of it routinely find motivation playing the roll of spoilers. Also players are playing for jobs. It’s been discussed and people have provided stats to show how teams mathematically eliminated usually play better down that stretch as the pressure is completely off. The old false premise of hope has been witnessed many times.

To add another side to this, teams eliminated become deadline sellers. Players are showcasing themselves not just for extensions but opportunities to be move to playoff bound clubs.

 

[Oddbob]

NO!

 

[PaulD]

So it's no secret that every player plays with a lot of pride and as a result as a collective refuses to tank even though it'll benefit the team for higher odds at a higher pick. But do you think scenarios where individual players may tank?

For example let's say you were drafted 3rd overall on a bad team and your team continues to be awful in your rookie season. The first overall pick is speculated to be your best friend and junior team mate in this particular draft year. Would it be possible for said player to purposefully play worse to increase his team's odds of drafting 1st overall to pick his bestie?

Then there's also a scenario where once your team is already out of the playoff picture and you happen to face your childhood team that could bubble into the playoffs. Would said player secretly play bad against his childhood team but play competitive against all other teams?

You can't be serious.

 

[DingDongCharlie]

I could see players "tank" to try and get a coach fired. That is about it.

I would agree with this. Pretty much the only time a player mails it in when they collectively tune out the voice in the room. Even then I don’t believe it’s intentional.

Oilers did that under Tippett. Went from a .557 win percentage to a .724 that season with Woodcroft. I don’t believe the players had any intention of sucking and having him be fired mid season. Add to that point it was at that point in a time a non-Holland type move. He’d never canned a coach mid season to that point.

 

[Beukeboom Fan]

Even coming in dead last only gives you a 25% chance to get the 1OA. Definitely not worth risking your reputation for that.

 

[Mrfenn92]

Nope

 

[The Great Mighty Poo]

it a pathetic performance, lot of dem pretend to care but I know dey not care, maybe Maxime Talbot, he bout 5 foot 8.

 

[Edmund Ironside]

Funny thing is teams out of it routinely find motivation playing the roll of spoilers. Also players are playing for jobs. It’s been discussed and people have provided stats to show how teams mathematically eliminated usually play better down that stretch as the pressure is completely off. The old false premise of hope has been witnessed many times.

To add another side to this, teams eliminated become deadline sellers. Players are showcasing themselves not just for extensions but opportunities to be move to playoff bound clubs.

Sure, but how much of this is a combination of teams taking them lightly/getting back up goalies.

The flip side of the narrative are the teams that elevate their play for “playoff hockey” down the stretch or when facing elimination like Nashville this year or the Panthers last year. I’m not saying players give up or don’t try, but there’s a reason so many rebuilding teams talk about wanting to play “meaningful games” down the stretch.

 

[Praetorian Caps]

Hard no. Most prospects take years to make the NHL and no veteran is sitting there thinking about the clubs draft positions.

As for young players trying to establish themselves internationally playing bad would be a risky, risky move.

I can't imagine a player risking his own future and a steady NHL check to help a team that will cut him when his play tapers off; tank his chances with other teams signing him to their squad.

 

[Goose]

Some players don’t really care about the cup, especially after already winning one, or for some at a certain point in their careers, it’s just a job, and the stress and injury risk and additional time away from family doesn’t want to make them “leave it all the line”.

I doubt anyone intentionally tanks or tries to lose, outside maybe a special isolated case or two over the years, but I’d bet good money there’s more than a few who are content to cash their cheques and get their summers off in a low stress market and who won’t lose sleep over missing out on a few playoff runs.

 

[Thallis]

While I don't think they intentionally do, sometimes some player's hearts aren't in it when they're locked up to a long term contract on a tanking team and their play ends up suffering for it(John Gibson)

 

[DingDongCharlie]

Sure, but how much of this is a combination of teams taking them lightly/getting back up goalies.

The flip side of the narrative are the teams that elevate their play for “playoff hockey” down the stretch or when facing elimination like Nashville this year or the Panthers last year. I’m not saying players give up or don’t try, but there’s a reason so many rebuilding teams talk about wanting to play “meaningful games” down the stretch.

Good points on reasons we see non-competitive clubs find wins down the stretch. I’d still say it proves they aren’t intentionally tanking if they are winning against playoff teams still fighting for playoff positions and the bubble teams fighting for the final spots even if taken lightly and facing backups.

Even if a teams got their spot locked up and cares not for playoff seeding it would be hard for those clubs to lose to bottom feeder clubs if the players were on top of being on bad teams intentionally trying to be even worse. We aren’t even talking totally checked out waiting on tee time. The premise is players trying to lose games. I just don’t think this ever happens.

I do think losing culture can kill a players compete level. That’s different though. Henrique spoke on this after the playoffs when he signed back in Edmonton. How he struggled to be motivated and found the constant losing hard in Anaheim.

 

[MadLuke]

The game theory seem like would never work in any case.

The young player example would be the last one to do it, no contract yet, everything to prove, hungry to go out, a lot of veteran try to stay in the league and the draft would be someone taking their jobs and to influence a team outcome by being a single player on a bad team, you would need to be quite terrible.

A lot of player can be traded at any time, you tank for a team you will not even play for in 2-3-4 years once that draft pick developed.

 

[CanadienShark]

No. Stupid question.

 

[JPT]

So it's no secret that every player plays with a lot of pride and as a result as a collective refuses to tank even though it'll benefit the team for higher odds at a higher pick. But do you think scenarios where individual players may tank?

For example let's say you were drafted 3rd overall on a bad team and your team continues to be awful in your rookie season. The first overall pick is speculated to be your best friend and junior team mate in this particular draft year. Would it be possible for said player to purposefully play worse to increase his team's odds of drafting 1st overall to pick his bestie?

Then there's also a scenario where once your team is already out of the playoff picture and you happen to face your childhood team that could bubble into the playoffs. Would said player secretly play bad against his childhood team but play competitive against all other teams?

Sounds like a good way to get sent down to the minors or become a perpetual healthy scratch

 

[Demigod11]

So it's no secret that every player plays with a lot of pride and as a result as a collective refuses to tank even though it'll benefit the team for higher odds at a higher pick. But do you think scenarios where individual players may tank?

For example let's say you were drafted 3rd overall on a bad team and your team continues to be awful in your rookie season. The first overall pick is speculated to be your best friend and junior team mate in this particular draft year. Would it be possible for said player to purposefully play worse to increase his team's odds of drafting 1st overall to pick his bestie?

Then there's also a scenario where once your team is already out of the playoff picture and you happen to face your childhood team that could bubble into the playoffs. Would said player secretly play bad against his childhood team but play competitive against all other teams?

The guy described in your OP would never make the NHL.

 

[John Mandalorian]

Tank isnt the right word but the alarming rate at which many players have a career year in a contract year certainly makes it fair to wonder about other years.

It seems to be less of an issue with elite players (and that's part of why they're elite). But if you go down one tier below elite and this is more prevalent.