NHL To Reward Playoff Chokes, Punish Cinderella

Let me get this straight - the NHL has voted to rework the entry draft order so that teams that squeak into the playoffs and go on miracle runs can pick behind teams that win their divisions but fold as soon as the calendar turns to April?

The Checking Line has all of the details, and if you're curious as to how it would have played out last year, the Edmonton Oilers - with their 95 regular season points (14th in the NHL) - would have picked 29th (versus 17th under the old rules) while the Detroit Red Wings - with their 124 points (1st overall) - would have picked 26th (versus 29th under the old rules). Buffalo and Anaheim, both of whom finished behind Detroit in the regular season, would also have picked after the Wings.

No, it's not a huge difference for Detroit, but it punishes a lesser team for a good playoff run and diminishes the importance of the regular season even further - give me an 82-game season as a measure of a team's ability over a 4-to-28 game snapshot any day.

So who's brilliant idea was this?

The change, apparently spearheaded by Red Wings GM Ken Holland, gives teams with good regular-seasons that flop in early playoff rounds better spots to pick from.

Uh huh.

But really, would you expect anything different from the League that rewards failure?

UPDATE: Bob McKenzie clarifies a bit, but I don't think it changes my example - or the underlying point - above.