The lottery shouldn't be a mechanism to correct franchises that are horribly run over the long term. It should be weighted to assist the worst teams to rebuild.
Long term mismanagement should be dealt with via a "relegation" concept. If a team is so incompetently managed that it misses the playoffs time-and-time again over many years, then it should be relegated to the AHL and replaced in the NHL with the top AHL team.
This appropriately penalizes boneheaded owners and GMS where it counts - in the pocket book - and weeds out poorly run franchises.
How many years out of the playoffs should be required before relegation? We'll, that's the $64,000 question. I'd think six or seven years.
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