First Loser: NHL Draft Prompts Teams to Throw in the Towel

It's pretty straight-forward.

If you have a losing team, the NHL tries to compensate you by giving you the first overall pick in the entry draft.

Despite that many of the teams with subpar records like the way the draft is modeled, it has to change. A lot of young players do not have the maturity and discipline to step onto the ice with a team that can't stay competitive.

The best example of this that I have seen is the 2003 Entry Draft. The Pittsburgh Penguins drafted highly-touted goaltending prospect Marc-Andre Fleury. To this day, it is evident that Fleury has the necessities to be a number-one goalie in the NHL, but hasn't had a chance to mature.

On the first day of the 2003-04 regular season, Fleury was thrown to the wolves in his first contest, as he was (at the time) seen as the "Penguins' Savior." He spent his time trying to keep his team in games they couldn't win, instead of taking it slowly and developing himself into star goaltender.

Luckily for him, the Penguins soon adopted a strong supporting cast that was able to work with him to win games.

In the 2004 draft, Pittsburgh selected Evgeni Malkin with the second overall pick. Malkin was seated as No. 2, only next to Capitals' All-Star scoring machine Alexander Ovechkin.

Malkin, who played pro hockey in Russia before making the jump to the NHL, is having an easier time adjusting than a rookie coming straight out of major junior or NCAA hockey. Also, being a forward, Malkin has more leeway for rookie mistakes to be made, thus completing the maturing process a lot quicker than a defenseman or goalie.

However, when the lockout came to an end in 2005, the league held a special draft in which every team virtually had an equal chance at drafting Sidney Crosby. Crosby, 20, is currently enjoying his third year with the Penguins now.

The draft now is putting too many young studs into pressure situations with demanding fans. Could you imagine how it would look if Toronto ended up with the first overall pick this year? They would draft Steven Stamkos, and the Toronto fans will be riding him like a saddle all season to make sure that he scores 40 goals and brings the team to the Stanley Cup.

Or could you imagine if a team like the Florida Panthers were to get a shot at Stamkos. Of course, we all know that the Panthers' organization is trying very hard to get their boys into the playoffs, but come on. I don't see this team being a playoff threat anytime soon, and it would be a waste of talent if a player like Stamkos went to a place where he would have little guidance and poor linemates to ease him into the league.

I believe that if the NHL wants to showcase young talent, there has got to be a better draft strategy than giving the first pick away to the worst team. Of course, that does seem fair, but at the same time it isn't justifiable.

It would look downright pathetic if the same team ended up with the first overall pick five years in a row, and showed little improvement with the players that they picked up. Not only does it look bad for the team, it's a shadow that will cast upon these high-touted prospects for years to come, potentially leading to a disappointing career.

In my opinion, the NHL should use the same method as in 2005. Every team that fails to make the playoffs should get three-to-one odds, with the 14 playoff teams who fail to make the finals getting five-to-one odds.

The winner of the lottery would receive the first overall pick, while spots two to 28 would be based on point totals from the regular season.

The two teams who make the finals should be given the 29th and 30th picks, respectively. In rounds two to seven, draft positions would be based strictly on regular-season point totals.

Now, imagine how it would look if a team like the Colorado Avalanche were to pick up Stamkos? A team that is neither horrible or perfect has the option to bring better youth into their lineup, without having a mentality to quit the previous season before the 82nd game.

This way, fans can be treated to the surprise of where the first shot will land, and talent won't be get wasted in places where players can't develop to full potential.

Youth is taking over in the NHL, and hopefully every team can get their fair share soon.