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Poll results: PHT readers name 2014 draft’s winners, losers

2014 NHL Draft - Rounds 2-7

PHILADELPHIA, PA - JUNE 28: Second overall pick Sam Reinhart (L) meets with Brendan Lemieux (R) after being selected #31 by the Buffalo Sabres on Day Two of the 2014 NHL Draft at the Wells Fargo Center on June 28, 2014 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

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About two weeks ago, PHT asked which of the 30 NHL teams were the biggest winners and losers of the 2014 NHL Draft.

Naturally, it’s difficult to gauge how well a team fared in the first season or two after a draft, let alone in the same weekend ... but some might find it enjoyable. Let’s take a look at the results and see if there’s a consensus (or if popular and/or disliked teams skewed the results).

For the sake of convenience, the top and bottom five from each category are listed. For all 30 teams’ results, click here.

Biggest winners top and bottom five (5,987 total votes):

1. Buffalo - 23.7 percent (1,419 votes)
2. Islanders - 7.75 percent (464)
3. Vancouver - 6.53 percent (391)
4. Detroit - 4.79 percent (287)
5. Florida - 4.64 percent (278)

26. New Jersey - 1.12 percent (67)
27. Dallas - 1.1 percent (66)
28. Colorado - 1.02 percent (61)
29. Carolina - .79 (47)
30. Ottawa - “0" (4)

Biggest losers top and bottom five (3,712 total votes):

1. Ottawa - 15.54 percent (577)
2. Pittsburgh - 10.29 percent (382)
3. Rangers - 8.3 percent (308)
4. Toronto - 7.65 percent (284)
5. Vancouver - 5.6 percent (208)

26. Minnesota - .89 percent (33)
27. Tampa Bay - .86 percent (32)
28. Dallas - .75 percent (28)
29. Nashville - .65 percent (24)
30. Columbus - .57 percent (21)

Some notes: The most telling thing might be that the distaste for Ottawa’s draft seemed clear: they received the fewest winner votes and the most loser voters. Biggest winner Buffalo received 2.9 percent (89 votes) of the loser votes. Dallas was in the bottom five of both polls (feel free to draw whatever conclusions you’d like from that).

The Sabres command such an impressive majority of the votes that it seems reasonable to deem them the “PHT voters’ choice.” One can only hope that people gave the Sabres bonus points for the uncanny resemblance between Brendan Lemieux and Sam Reinhart (pictured).

Follow James O’Brien @cyclelikesedins