Flames have Tkachuk
Carolina has Aho

Not that they couldn’t add to the talent but writing off players of this caliber is shortsighted

I remember when Leaf fans were up in arms when I chose the Leafs missing the post season as my bold prediction for the year. One game away from not qualifying.

So, Hughes is an interesting comparison. Is Laf head and shoulders better than all the other options in the draft? I would say that Kakko and Dach are just as good.

Whatever... I just can't stand when people say I would rather my team lose for the chance at a lottery ticket.
- Chunk

I have heard people say Laf is comparable to Patrick Kane. I dont follow that kind of stuff so I go by what I hear.

I gave him alot of though...I think he may be there...but not quite yet...need to see these sorts of numbers consistently.
- Eklund

Aho should be selling lots of merchandise in the NHL shop. The kid is an elite talent, stud and criminally underrated. He should be a star but he's not marketed at all. I dont think Ive ever heard him speak.

12.5 percent is not great anyway. I'd rather have my team make a run as unlikely as that may be.

I want my Oilers in the playoffs, but will gladly take the pick as we knew as soon as it was announced that a play in loser would get it that Edmonton was being set up to lose.
- Oilersrno.1

And I want my Leafs to make the playoffs but they are also being set up to lose so they will draw the 1st pick and if they don't draw the pick and have lost to Columbus then I am jumping off the Leafs band wagon....I haven't missed a game since Matthews and the other Young Guns came aboard and even bared through their losing ways but enough is enough, paying out Millions and Millions and get knocked out of the first round of every playoffs so trade the most of them keeping only Matthews, Reilly, Robertson, Sandin, Campbell, Muzzin, Kerfoot and Nylander and get a pile of gutsy low paid players....all the others are not showing their worth....if Nylander was getting paid more his name wouldn't be here either.....disgusting that they let that game go last night same as always

And I want my Leafs to make the playoffs but they are also being set up to lose so they will draw the 1st pick and if they don't draw the pick and have lost to Columbus then I am jumping off the Leafs band wagon....I haven't missed a game since Matthews and the other Young Guns came aboard and even bared through their losing ways but enough is enough, paying out Millions and Millions and get knocked out of the first round of every playoffs so trade the most of them keeping only Matthews, Reilly, Robertson, Sandin, Campbell, Muzzin, Kerfoot and Nylander and get a pile of gutsy low paid players....all the others are not showing their worth....if Nylander was getting paid more his name wouldn't be here either.....disgusting that they let that game go last night same as always
- Leafcup

Oh, rookie.

Are you really coming on here to look for sympathy after having lived through three years of Leafs heartache?

Time to pick a new team, son.

You don't have the stuffing to be a Leafs fan.

Oh, rookie.

Are you really coming on here to look for sympathy after having lived through three years of Leafs heartache?

Time to pick a new team, son.

You don't have the stuffing to be a Leafs fan.
- Atomic Wedgie

And you are an idiot.....I have been watching Leafs a hell of a lot longer than you I would bet.....I seen the Leafs play with guts and glory many years ago and has not been replicated anywhere near to then excepting maybe the great Wendall Clark years so don't give that crap about not having the stuffing especially from someone that thinks he can justify paying huge $ for half the production from that worth...you need to give your head a shake

You seem to be forgetting the Flames already have two superstar LWs.

Lafrenière is going to be good, but let's not get carried away already. He's nowhere near a Crosby/McDavid type, probably not even on the same level as a Jack Hughes.

I will lose my poop if Edmonton gets knocked out and wins this pick!
- deuce22

Im not going to lie, I have been rooting for this for some time now.

I think it would be amazing!

And I want my Leafs to make the playoffs but they are also being set up to lose so they will draw the 1st pick and if they don't draw the pick and have lost to Columbus then I am jumping off the Leafs band wagon....I haven't missed a game since Matthews and the other Young Guns came aboard and even bared through their losing ways but enough is enough, paying out Millions and Millions and get knocked out of the first round of every playoffs so trade the most of them keeping only Matthews, Reilly, Robertson, Sandin, Campbell, Muzzin, Kerfoot and Nylander and get a pile of gutsy low paid players....all the others are not showing their worth....if Nylander was getting paid more his name wouldn't be here either.....disgusting that they let that game go last night same as always
- Leafcup

I once attended a Red Wings game in 1984 when there more cars on the Ice than fans in the seats. You remember the Ballard years, right? Don't give up now! Have some faith in your Leafs man! It ain't over until it's over! Who said that?

Aho should be selling lots of merchandise in the NHL shop. The kid is an elite talent, stud and criminally underrated. He should be a star but he's not marketed at all. I dont think Ive ever heard him speak.
- MattStrat

I still can't believe Detroit drafted Svechnikov's brother over Aho. ☹️

Aho should be selling lots of merchandise in the NHL shop. The kid is an elite talent, stud and criminally underrated. He should be a star but he's not marketed at all. I dont think Ive ever heard him speak.
- MattStrat

With any luck the Canes will have some sustained success and they'll start getting some more coverage. The core of this team is going to be together for at least 4 more years so that will help.

I still can't believe Detroit drafted Svechnikov's brother over Aho. ☹️
- gergeswillems

Zboril and Senyshyn

You seem to be forgetting the Flames already have two superstar LWs.

Lafrenière is going to be good, but let's not get carried away already. He's nowhere near a Crosby/McDavid type, probably not even on the same level as a Jack Hughes.
- Hunkulese

lol wrong Hughes to be saying is good

Zboril and Senyshyn
- BINGO!

The Broons still got DeBrusk but still... he's no Aho.

what about sevchnikov and aho in Caroline (they have potential ) what about Barzel if he was not in NYI With Trotts he would have a ton of points.

lol wrong Hughes to be saying is good
- ChonDerry

That's the point.

what about sevchnikov and aho in Caroline (they have potential ) what about Barzel if he was not in NYI With Trotts he would have a ton of points.
- Robeun

Aho has only been in the league for 4 years now, but he needs to produce more consistently. Like Elias Pettersson who has been doing that for 2 years. Makes sense!

There is something wrong with this whole play in or chance for #1 pick. The #1 pick SHOULD go to a team that needs help, not to a team that loses in the Stanley Cup play in. NHL needs to get the lottery fixed, or is the FIX in. That said, Winnipeg needs help, and is western team. If Pens, Rangers, Edmonton or Montreal get #1, ,there needs to be an investigation. Edmonton specifically, with World best player and this year MVP. Wrong, Wrong and Franking wrong
- Leaping Liz

We were talking about this on the Flyers thread yesterday. The fact that non-playoff teams (therefore including play-in losers this year) get a chance at lottery picks is consistent with rules since 2016. And the fact that the draft was before the playoffs (god knows why) meant we did not know who those teams would be.

But for the life of me I cannot understand why NHL structured the phase 2 the way it did. After we know one of the play-in losers is going to get #1, why the hell give teams 8-15 the same chance of 12.5%? Why not weigh chances in reverse order of regular season p/g?

We were talking about this on the Flyers thread yesterday. The fact that non-playoff teams (therefore including play-in losers this year) get a chance at lottery picks is consistent with rules since 2016. And the fact that the draft was before the playoffs (god knows why) meant we did not know who those teams would be.

But for the life of me I cannot understand why NHL structured the phase 2 the way it did. After we know one of the play-in losers is going to get #1, why the hell give teams 8-15 the same chance of 12.5%? Why not weigh chances in reverse order of regular season p/g?
- PT21

Imagine if they just did the lottery after the play in round. No controversy. There was no logical purpose to do it early. Ek's explanation was to create some major marketing buzz. What a joke. What were the ratings Ek? Did the lottery beat a re-run of Alf?

Barzal would like a word...

Unless the team wins the cup, clearly getting #1 would be the best "runner up" option especially as there aren't ticket revenues/etc as other factors to consider...so, take PIT, if they lose to MTL and get #1, then it would be much better than losing anywhere else in the playoffs...

first wrecklund saved the preds. now forsberg.

It is called a lottery for a reason. It is the only thing that keeps poop teams from full blown tanking.

Quit whining and enjoy that hockey is on. I am positive you wouldn't be crying if the Sabres caught luck in the lottery.
- Mahewman

The problem people have is that a team that made the playoffs this year (the NHL in all its wisdom has declared all these games happening now to be the playoffs) will have won the first overall pick in the draft.

So, yes, if the Sabres won the lottery (or any other actual lottery team did), no one would be crying about a playoff team winning the first pick because it wouldn't have happened.

I think the whole system the NHL came up with is incredibly stupid and poorly executed, but I am only going to be upset if one of the teams that had 0% chance of missing the playoffs ends up winning the first pick just because they happened to lose 3 games after a 2.5 month shutdown.