The Vancouver Canucks are eliminated from playoff contention, and finishing last would improve their chances of drafting first overall. If the NHL used the Gold Plan, the Canucks would still have every reason to win.
The Vancouver Canucks were the first team eliminated from NHL playoff contention this week.
After 69 games, the Canucks found themselves 15 points behind the next-worst team in the league and 25 points out of a playoff spot.
Now, with 13 games remaining, there's nothing to play for aside from staying in last place to earn the best lottery odds ahead of the 2026 NHL draft.
Were the Canucks competing in the PWHL, where the Gold Plan decides who will pick first overall in the draft, the next 13 games wouldn't be throw-away games for Canucks fans; they'd be something new to cheer for.
They'd be games the Canucks couldn't risk sacrificing, because every point still counted, not against them but for them.
What Is The Gold Plan?
The Gold Plan was first discussed in 2012, when the plan's creator, Adam Gold, presented the idea at the Sloan Analytics Conference.
In short, the Gold Plan is used for teams to win the first overall pick through their play, not through a lottery or sheer failure on the ice.
Under the Gold Plan, once a team is mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, it starts accumulating "draft order" points. Whatever team earns the most draft order points picks first overall.
The PWHL has used the plan since the league was founded in 2023, saying the aim was to keep fans engaged, ensure every game matters, and keep the competitive level of non-playoff teams from dropping.
It's also a plan to deter tanking. Yes, teams that are eliminated earlier have more games to earn points, but you still need to win a handful of games. A last-place team like the Canucks may have less success in the 13 games they have remaining than a team that is eliminated with four to five games remaining.
What Would It Mean For The Canucks And Other NHL Teams?
If the NHL used the Gold Plan, the Canucks would join a new tab on every standings record, where they're working to earn points to win the first overall pick in the 2026 NHL draft and the chance to select either Gavin McKenna or Ivar Stenberg.
Future games against soon-to-be non-playoff teams would intensify with the chance to quite literally earn the right to select a potential franchise player in any given year.
The Gold Plan is also a tool toward parity. Teams aren't as apt to sell off every top player on their roster when they fade from playoff contention, because they know that they'll require skill, and perhaps a veteran presence, to earn points toward their draft order.
In their final games of the season, the Canucks face some challenging squads, such as the Colorado Avalanche, Minnesota Wild and Anaheim Ducks. They also face teams looking to lock down a playoff spot or home-ice advantage, such as the San Jose Sharks, Los Angeles Kings, Edmonton Oilers, Vegas Golden Knights and Utah Mammoth.
Right now, they could try to spoil the party and beat these clubs, but it would only lessen their odds of receiving the first overall pick if they were to rise even one spot in the standings. With the Gold Plan, they would spoil the party and improve their chances of drafting first.
Over the coming weeks, The Hockey News will track what the 2026 NHL Draft order chase could look like, were the NHL using the Gold Plan.
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