As most hockey fans probably know, the National Hockey League is riddled with problems and feuds between the players and the “administration,” hence the three lockouts that have taken place in the past twenty NHL seasons. Unfortunately, another complication has arisen, and it has formed within the depths of the league.
Tanking Teams Leads to a Tanking League
This issue is widely known as tanking, which can be used to describe a hockey club who purposely loses games in order to increase their chances at a higher draft pick. Tanking seems to have become quite common this season, but not one team has admitted to doing so. The Buffalo Sabres, who have been dwelling in the bottom of the standings for numerous years, have been under the microscope due to their horrific record, questionable positivity throughout the season, and numerous reports from Sabres staff that lead fans and media to believe that they had all eyes on Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel before the season even began.
The main problem with tanking is the fact that it goes against the three things NHL teams should live by: dignity, drive and determination. When it comes down to it, tanking was born at the same time the Draft Lottery came into play. The Draft Lottery gives lower-seeded teams a much higher chance at getting a valuable pick. This also means that the team that finishes in 30th place is guaranteed either the first or second overall draft pick. This year, those top two spots are held by McDavid and Eichel.
Tim Murray, general manager of the measly Buffalo Sabres, said, “I don’t want to have anything to do with it,” and “I don’t even want to speak to it,” during a press conference on Tuesday when the topic of tanking arose. The Sabres are dead last in the league, with ONLY 19 wins and 42 losses this season. This leads people to either believe that Murray is straight out lying, or he knows/has nothing to do with tanking within the Sabres franchise. Either way, suspicions have arisen, especially among the NHL’s worst clubs.
At the end of the season, and by the time the draft rolls around, tanking (whether it happens in the National Hockey League or not) will still be an issue. We know that tanking has the potential to leave a dent in the National Hockey League. Fortunately, there are ways around it, but its up to the NHL to decide whether or not they take some solutions into consideration.
Main Photo by Derek Leung/Getty Images
