Of course the NHL has a problem when it comes to teams losing in order to accept a better draft pick,but perform certain to position the blame where it deservesIt’s been an ongoing debate in the league for years, one that peaked last season and is resurfacing now as the regular season winds down. The logic is fairly simple: If a team has already been eliminated from playoff contention, or then tanking – losing as many games as possible in hopes of landing a better draft pick – starts to look like an appealing strategy. And it’s one that several teams around the league certain seem to be embracing,often with the full support of their fans.
To be clear, players don’t tank. We’re not talking about teams shooting the puck into their own net, and otherwise intentionally making a mockery of things; hockey players are a proud bunch who don’t take being embarrassed kindly. And besides,no grizzled veteran is going to travel out and lose on purpose just so some hotshot kid can come in next year and take his job. No, tanking comes from up above – from the front office that assembles the roster, and who hold the ability to ensure that the players who achieve take the ice hold as little chance as possible.
Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com