What I hated were those years the Flames made a run at the end of the year and finished just out of the playoffs became a lose-lose sort of deal. They miss the playoffs, and then end up picking 10 to 14. Efforts like those should be rewarded instead of punished.
I'd rather see teams that try to make the playoffs and get close have higher picks than those who tank, either intentionally or not. That way, at least fans will know no team is writing off the season and every team has an incentive to play in March, whether they are in the playoff hunt or not.
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