Draft Plan '05 ?

A few months ago I suggested a two-tiered draft: top half you get a 16-30 shot, bottom 1-15. Simply reverting to the 03-04 standings is a nonstarter:A good team like NJ may have suffered a bigtime loss,say a Marty and Neids in '05 [don't even want to think about it]and finished somewhere in the bottom five.Even a 4 year average isn't fair.
I saw the Brian Burke proposal and while it made sense,I disagree with the groupings:
-- "Take the 1-30 rankings, break them into five or six groups, and hold a lottery within each group. Such a variation would have everyone in the first group -- say, Columbus, Atlanta, Florida, Pittsburgh, and the Rangers -- tossed into a hat to settle the first five picks. The next group, 6 through 10, would stage its own lottery for the next five picks. "
I don't think NJD deserve a chance at Crosby. But I don't think the rag$(who spent about 300mil the last 4 yrs.) deserve a 1-5 shot either. I want to make it a pure lottery,but a weighted one: playoff and nonplayoff divisions. If the #15 team get's the #1 pick in the draw so be it. I want to see the weaker teams do well,but we really don't know for sure who the weaker teams are. The prospect of Wash.getting the #1 pick in consecutive years is unacceptable but I'm sure they will be arguing for it.

No season was played, so I say a 30-team lottery. No team should be rewarded for not playing a game. And all this talk of using 3 years of standings is ridiculous. If that's the case, why not use the rankings of each teams prospects. Let face it, the league will be a lot different when they return and teams like the Devils, Wings and Avs will probably be taking a step back, while a team like Florida can be an upcoming power-house, so I can't see them being rewarded with a lottery pick as far as I'm concerned. My point is that no one really knows what the future holds, so I say go with a lottery, where the team that picks first in the first round, goes last in the second round, etc.

No season was played, so I say a 30-team lottery. No team should be rewarded for not playing a game. And all this talk of using 3 years of standings is ridiculous. If that's the case, why not use the rankings of each teams prospects. Let face it, the league will be a lot different when they return and teams like the Devils, Wings and Avs will probably be taking a step back, while a team like Florida can be an upcoming power-house, so I can't see them being rewarded with a lottery pick as far as I concerned. My point is that no one really knows what the future holds, so I say go with a lottery, where the team that picks first in the first round, goes last in the second round, etc.Totally agree. They should also take into consideration how many of those players from the past 3 years are actually still with their respective teams. They should also look at players who will be retiring because of the lockout.

The easiest thing to do is have a 30 team lottery. I'd be willing to allow the 15 worst teams as far as records go (over the past three years if they want to) get double the vote but no more. The lockout screwed everybody. No way should the dregs of league get to have two years of drafting the best players out there. That's ludicrous.