Quote:
Originally Posted by CroFlames
Why not just have 14 balls in the barrel representing the 14 teams who missed. You draw 1 to 14, and that is the order of the first 14 picks. Voila. If your team still sucks, find a new GM. Don't rely on the draft lottery.
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You can't lose sight of the fact that at its core the draft order is there to ensure that bad teams have a hand-up in improving their fortunes. Doing so helps to keep lesser teams financially viable, and provides a churning effect in the league in terms of success.
People like to point to the Oilers, but a single draft can change the fortunes of a perennially sucking team. Chicago is not winning Stanley Cups without Kane and Toews. The Kings would not have won without Doughty. The Pens are probably not even in Pittsburgh without Crosby.
Even with it's faults, I think it's important that on some level the league provides this step-up for crappy teams. There's a huge difference between picking top 3 and 14.