The Connor McDavid sweepstakes

[TorinK92]

Here's something that I just thought of: Katz basically forced Bassin (the Otters owner) to declare bankruptcy due to litigation over a botched deal. So what's the chance that McDavid demands a trade if Katz doesn't drop the lawsuit on his buddy?

McKenzie brought up a conspiracy theory that the lottery might have been part of the settlement for that suit.

[Nyk33]

The kid looked like he just got convicted of a crime when he was walking down that hallway.

http://streamable.com/u0yv

[2001mark]

The kid looked like he just got convicted of a crime when he was walking down that hallway.

http://streamable.com/u0yv

He's like 'Someone please handcuff me... look, I've got my wrists ready for lockup.'

That clip is already being saved for the Oilers 30 for 30 'The Busts on the Bus'.

[Lights Out]

Unreal.

I'm more angry at this outcome than I thought I'd be. How many chances is that circus going to get up there? Infinite, evidently.

I don't see what Bettman has to do with this, LO. Your NBA has a lottery with a much more ignominious past with many more cases of wildly improbable teams winning the number one pick. What's he supposed to do? I'm sure he's real happy about the best player in a generation going to a tiny Canadian market with incompetent management. I'm sure that's what he wanted.

If anything, this shows this whole thing is definitely not rigged.

Who said it was rigged? All I'm saying is, arguably the biggest dumpster-fire franchise in sports at the moment just won the lottery again, and the next face of the league couldn't even hide his disgust. It made the NHL look like a third-rate joke. This is precisely why draft lotteries are stupid, and it was Bettman and the owners' choice to have one.

[2001mark]

Who said it was rigged? All I'm saying is, arguably the biggest dumpster-fire franchise in sports at the moment just won the lottery again, and the next face of the league couldn't even hide his disgust. It made the NHL look like a third-rate joke. This is precisely why draft lotteries are stupid, and it was Bettman and the owners' choice to have one.

Because trying to lose as many games is possible straight up isn't a third rate joke?

[Morgan33]

The Sabres twitter feed is ridiculous. What team cries in sadness and defeat to have Jack Eichel on their roster?

A team that makes the Canucks look like a storied franchise by comparison...

[Sport]

Unreal.

I'm more angry at this outcome than I thought I'd be. How many chances is that circus going to get up there? Infinite, evidently.

I don't see what Bettman has to do with this, LO. Your NBA has a lottery with a much more ignominious past with many more cases of wildly improbable teams winning the number one pick. What's he supposed to do? I'm sure he's real happy about the best player in a generation going to a tiny Canadian market with incompetent management. I'm sure that's what he wanted.

If anything, this shows this whole thing is definitely not rigged.

Who said it was rigged? All I'm saying is, arguably the biggest dumpster-fire franchise in sports at the moment just won the lottery again, and the next face of the league couldn't even hide his disgust. It made the NHL look like a third-rate joke. This is precisely why draft lotteries are stupid, and it was Bettman and the owners' choice to have one.

We agree that Edmonton is a dumpster fire and not an ideal landing place for McD. So your criticism of Bettman is that he chose to have a lottery, a thing the league has had for 20 years, in a season where the best player in a generation was going to induce heavy tanking? They had to have a lottery this year.

I fail to see how this makes the league look like a third rate joke.

[2001mark]

We agree that Edmonton is a dumpster fire and not an ideal landing place for McD. So your criticism of Bettman is that he chose to have a lottery, a thing the league has had for 20 years, in a season where the best player in a generation was going to induce heavy tanking? They had to have a lottery this year.

There's an NHL draft lottery every year.

[youcan'tseeme]

Thank god Buffalo didn't win, but Edmonton...

[Still MIGHTY]

Are you ING kidding me?!?!

Edmonton!?! Again!?! Really!?!

One of the worst outcomes. Asinine. Wow...

[habsfan1]

Are you ING kidding me?!?!

Edmonton!?! Again!?! Really!?!

One of the worst outcomes. Asinine. Wow...

Same . Different year...

[Cosmic]

Short version because I'm still on the road: I'm gonna be really really pissed at Edmonton if they still suck. I think they were probably tied with Carolina for top places I didn't want him to go.

Not really mad. Every Sabres fan with half a brain (there's at least a couple) knew the odds. We get Eichel.

[IceCap]

This is so absurd it's hilarious.

That's what you get for tanking, Buffalo! Glad the Sabres didn't win the lottery. Deliberately trying to not win games in multiple seasons is shameful business.

Yeah. Now they'll have to settle for Eichel. Settling for the second best player in a generation. That'll teach them

Also, this should be another factoid in that Bettman doesn't hate Canada.

We've still got pulling rules out of his a** to stop a local ownership group from buying the original Jets to keep them in town. Or basically giving every market a shot at a NHL team before Quebec City. Also holding a grudge against a guy who wanted to move a team to Hamilton.

And threatening to relocate the Jets 2.0 before they even played a single game.

Sarah McLellanVerified account ‏@azc_mclellan

LeBlanc said #Coyotes missed winning the draft by one number in the four-number sequence.

Suck it, Coyotes!

See, stuff like this makes me think it was rigged in the Coyotes' favour. It's just that the league is so incompetently run that they even manage to botch this

Anyway I agree with Lights Out to a point. It DOES look bad when the next generational talent looks visibly pained at the prospect of playing for the dumpster fire of a team that won the draft lotto. That's not on Bettman though.

[spartacat_12]

LOL Bettman. Time for this clown to go away now, this league's become an even bigger joke than it was yesterday.

Dude, if Bettman was gonna rig it, we'd being seeing Connor McDavid the Coyote next season.

Exactly. This result is pretty much Bettman's worst nightmare. The heir apparent to Sidney Crosby is going to a small market, Canadian team that plays in the western conference. Despite all the suggestions that he pull a Lindros, I don't think there's a chance of that happening. As Bob McKenzie said earlier tonight, McDavid could've pulled that move when Erie selected him first in the OHL Draft, but his father advised against it. Lindros's decisions to say no to both the Nordiques and the Soo Greyhounds were heavily influenced by his parents.

I'm thankful that Toronto didn't win the lottery, but Edmonton was the next worst destination in my mind. My hope is that the Sens can now dangle a goalie/defenseman in front of them and pry away one of their top forwards. But knowing the Oilers' track record, they'll most likely maintain the status quo and count on winning every game 6-5.

One thing that just occurred to me is that the Coyotes missing out on McDavid and Eichel could be a blessing in disguise. They now have the inside track to the best odds of next year's first pick, Austin Matthews, a kid who is breaking Patrick Kane's records with the USNTDP. Matthews also happens to be born and raised in the state of Arizona. I can just imagine Bettman grinning at the thought of the Yotes drafting a home grown superstar. Although, with the changes to the lottery format next year the 30th place team may end up drafting as late as 4th.

[Sport]

This is so absurd it's hilarious.

That's what you get for tanking, Buffalo! Glad the Sabres didn't win the lottery. Deliberately trying to not win games in multiple seasons is shameful business.

Yeah. Now they'll have to settle for Eichel. Settling for the second best player in a generation. That'll teach them

Also, this should be another factoid in that Bettman doesn't hate Canada.

We've still got pulling rules out of his a** to stop a local ownership group from buying the original Jets to keep them in town. Or basically giving every market a shot at a NHL team before Quebec City. Also holding a grudge against a guy who wanted to move a team to Hamilton.

And threatening to relocate the Jets 2.0 before they even played a single game.

Sarah McLellanVerified account ‏@azc_mclellan

LeBlanc said #Coyotes missed winning the draft by one number in the four-number sequence.

Suck it, Coyotes!

See, stuff like this makes me think it was rigged in the Coyotes' favour. It's just that the league is so incompetently run that they even manage to botch this

Anyway I agree with Lights Out to a point. It DOES look bad when the next generational talent looks visibly pained at the prospect of playing for the dumpster fire of a team that won the draft lotto. That's not on Bettman though.

That happens with every single league that has a draft though. I shouldn't have to tell the two of you that. You're both Chargers fans.

I don't see why McDavid needed to be there. I will say that.

[ninersdd]

Kinda like spartacat said Edmonton can be Dallas north with high scoring games now.

[Brass]

Have any Maple Leafs on HFBoards offered Leo Komarov and a 2018 second round pick for the first overall selection yet?

[FGM13]

I've never seen so much Oiler hate from non-Flames fans. I'm happy with McDavid, but I don't see this ending well for Edmonton. While Kevin Lowe and Co. are still around, they're never going to do anything, generational player or not.

[MrWonka]

The Sabres twitter feed is ridiculous. What team cries in sadness and defeat to have Jack Eichel on their roster?

A team that makes the Canucks look like a storied franchise by comparison...

Being from Buffalo and a die hard fan I don't remember anyone crying over sadness. Maybe the people who don't really follow hockey and just knew about McDavid but we all knew the Tank was for Eichel, the prize was just McDavid.

[The Six]