Consider this: suppose your team is about 10th in the league come the trade deadline. Which of the following outcomes would you prefer?
1. Your team stays the course and manages to squeeze into 8th place for the playoffs. By a huge stroke of miracleness / insane motivation they make it to the second round of the playoffs where they are subsequently eliminated, as on paper they never should have made it that far. (I'm thinking habs at the beginning of the 2000's as an example)
or
2. Your team sells off pieces at the trade deadline, goes near the bottom of your conference and gets to pick top 5.
As a Coyotes fan, I'd take an 8-seed followed by a 4-game sweep over a top 5 pick without thinking. Throw in a series victory, and it's not even close.
depends on the team for me... if you are like Chicago, I'd take the 2nd rounder elimination because with drafting another really good kid means you will be even more cash strapped in a couple years...
if you are someone like the..... Wings (only because people view them as old now, I guess, but any "old" team would work). I think that getting a top 5 pick might help them because like i said, they are getting old now and could really use a skilled kid on their team in the future.
or if you are struggling like the Bolts/Panthers/Thrashers/Yotes/Islanders for some butts in seats, you take the 2nd round sweep.
A top-5 pick doesn't magically turn into an Ovechkin or Crosby. Florida hasn't made the playoffs since 2000, and they have had three top-5 picks, plus three more top-10 picks. The goal of hockey is to win the Stanley Cup, and making the playoffs will increase your odds from 0% to do that.
The goal in any league ought to be to win Championships, period, and a top 5 pick will probably contribute more to that goal than a second round playoff exit would.
I take the pick. Anything less than a Cup is a failure. Perhaps an encouraging failure, but a failure. I took this poll as meaning if you KNEW that your team would be eliminated in the 2nd round, do you take that or the pick.
However, since that knowledge is never privy during the season for obvious reasons... it's impossible to enact.
The top five pick is designed to make you a good team. A playoff team is a good team.
No question about it, I take the playoffs.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MLSE
I cant believe a Pens fan is saying this
Being a Penguins fan for those five years or so, not only with the piss poor team but also the relocation threat, was agonizing. Being a Leafs or Cubs fan has nothing on how bad it was to be a fan during those years.
Second round playoff exit. For a team who is in the bottom 10 of the league at the trade deadline to fight their way back and make it to the second round is a huge motivation boost. The team knows what pieces they need and they can make the proper adjustments to the team and could be a force in a year or two.
I think that's better than tanking on purpose for a top 5 draft pick which as we all know, isn't guarenteed to amount to anything.
I take the pick. Anything less than a Cup is a failure. Perhaps an encouraging failure, but a failure. I took this poll as meaning if you KNEW that your team would be eliminated in the 2nd round, do you take that or the pick.
However, since that knowledge is never privy during the season for obvious reasons... it's impossible to enact.
agree. give me the very high highs and the very low lows over consistent mediocrity.
for the question, it really depends on what the franchise prospect stable is like. if it's a very well stocked group with a ton of potential, a 2nd round upset is probably a team on the upswing. on the other hand take minnesota for example...i think everyone knew they would never win a cup with the group they had. they were good, but never good enough to be taken seriously. they're now going to rebuild and face the inevitable.
