[[User:Lucky 6.9]] and I have been discussing this possibilty: What if one was able to proect a deleted/nonexistent page? The same page would not be created over and over if it has no place in Wikipedia. When the clueless newbie/troll/vandal goes away, it can be unprotected, just like normal. The best defense for this is the fact that the {{deletedpage}} template would become obsolete. In addition, it would be a relief on the servers (even if it's minor). Any thoughts?
--Ryan