At a certain point, it gets very unfair to the top talent if Edmonton doesn't get their act together. Those players could be missing out on millions over their next few contracts because of it. Also, where would you rather play... Toronto or Edmonton? At a certain point, it almost pays to not be the best player some years.

While tanking and trading away veteran players is something that we're going to live with, I think that after a certain point you really shouldn't be able to keep winning the draft lottery. The devils weren't allowed to keep the #1 pick when we won it, so why can't we add a two year max or something?
- Rabidduck

It really does suck that Edmonton has been bad for so long and so lucky at winning the 1 OA, but they are not the norm. Them winning so much the last decade is an anomaly, not the norm. You don't change an entire strategy that might otherwise be working over one fluky situation (Edmonton).

If you want to eliminate tanking, the only real way to do so is to remove the salary cap entirely, otherwise teams will need to sell off all assets now and suck for a while so they can gain a better team in the future. If you do eliminate the salary cap though, teams with budget concerns will not be able to compete.

Even the idea of allowing teams to go over the cap because they contribute more or other such nonsense will defeat the whole purpose of the cap of helping low budget teams be competitive.

Really, what I'd love to see is relegation ala the EPL. I know it's crazy, but I think it would be hilarious to see.

Too bad that would never work, and is just as ridiculous as the other situations we find ourselves looking at.

i dont think it is fair to condemn teams for knowing that they aren't a playoff team and selling off asset... in a cap league it is just smart management.... regardless of the lottery implications.

It really does suck that Edmonton has been bad for so long and so lucky at winning the 1 OA, but they are not the norm. Them winning so much the last decade is an anomaly, not the norm. You don't change an entire strategy that might otherwise be working over one fluky situation (Edmonton).

If you want to eliminate tanking, the only real way to do so is to remove the salary cap entirely, otherwise teams will need to sell off all assets now and suck for a while so they can gain a better team in the future. If you do eliminate the salary cap though, teams with budget concerns will not be able to compete.

Even the idea of allowing teams to go over the cap because they contribute more or other such nonsense will defeat the whole purpose of the cap of helping low budget teams be competitive.
- Thecakeisalie

i agree u dont change the entire strategy... but what about a rule decreasing the percentage of past winners for X amount of years. compounded by multiple win...
... say anywhere from 2% to 5%(4% for example... and lets say 5 years... ( all number debatable)
so for the next 5 year any lottery that the past year winner (toronto this year) partake in they would have the percentage that they are awarded reduced by 4%...so if they place last again and have a 20% chance it would be reduced to 16%
.... and if they were to win the lottery again that would reduced any future lottery odds by 8%.. and so forth...
now if at anytime the % that they are being reduced by is larger then the % that the team is award that team would be eliminated from the lottery all together..
lastly the reduced percentages would then be evenly split up between the remaining lottery teams.

Different scenarios Buffalo traded away every available NHL caliber player they could. They even went as far as to trade for Kane because he could not play last year. Every goalie with a save percentage above .600 was traded. Leafs unloaded salary and players that did not fit in. They got more competitive as the year moved on beating teams in the last two weeks of play - narrowing beating the permanently tanking Oilers. At least the Sabres had some honor and moved up the standings. Different eras bring different forms of dishonorable behavior - like the Philadelphia Broad Street Bullies - if you can't beat them by playing hockey - goon them until they can' t move and win by default.

https://youtu.be/vOlUjW0ytRM

Different scenarios Buffalo traded away every available NHL caliber player they could. They even went as far as to trade for Kane because he could not play last year. Every goalie with a save percentage above .600 was traded. Leafs unloaded salary and players that did not fit in. They got more competitive as the year moved on beating teams in the last two weeks of play - narrowing beating the permanently tanking Oilers. At least the Sabres had some honor and moved up the standings. Different eras bring different forms of dishonorable behavior - like the Philadelphia Broad Street Bullies - if you can't beat them by playing hockey - goon them until they can' t move and win by default.

https://youtu.be/vOlUjW0ytRM
- winsix

You tanked. End of story.

You tanked. End of story.

- ImThatGuy

54 points vs 68 points - I guess that's close