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There's less than no reason for the Hockey Gods to continue to reward the Edmonton Oilers. Just look at this list of first overall draft picks: Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Nail Yakupov, Connor McDavid. Last year, they had an 11.5% chance to win the draft lottery, and they did it, crushing the hopes and dreams of every Sabres fan who had already bought a McDavid jersey. In 2012, they deprived the last place Columbus Blue Jackets the chance to fail for Nail.
The Oilers have managed so many first overall picks recently that Blues general manager Doug Armstrong even lead the way in making some changes that could prevent it from happening again. Is this a case of franchise envy? Of course not - for most NHL general managers, it's just a case of being tired of one team hogging the top ranked draft picks then insisting on not doing a damn thing with them other than eventually crushing their will to live (see Yakupov for a particularly wonderful example of that).
So, tonight is the lottery, and yet again, the Oilers have a good chance at drafting first overall.
|
Team |
2015-16 Points |
No. 1 |
No. 2 |
No. 3 |
Lowest Possible |
|
69 |
20.0% |
17.5% |
15.0% |
4th |
|
|
Edmonton Oilers |
70 |
13.5% |
13.0% |
12.5% |
5th |
|
75 |
11.5% |
11.4% |
11.3% |
6th |
|
|
Columbus Blue Jackets |
76 |
9.5% |
9.7% |
9.8% |
7th |
|
77 |
8.5% |
8.8% |
9.0% |
8th |
|
|
78 |
7.5% |
7.8% |
8.2% |
9th |
|
|
78 |
6.5% |
6.9% |
7.2% |
10th |
|
|
Buffalo Sabres |
81 |
6.0% |
6.4% |
6.8% |
11th |
|
82 |
5.0% |
5.4% |
5.8% |
12th |
|
|
82 |
3.5% |
3.8% |
4.2% |
13th |
|
|
84 |
3.0% |
3.3% |
3.6% |
14th |
|
|
85 |
2.5% |
2.7% |
3.0% |
14th |
|
|
86 |
2.0% |
2.2% |
2.5% |
14th |
|
|
93 |
1.0% |
1.1% |
1.3% |
14th |
The Toronto Maple Leafs are banking on that first overall pick to snag Auston Matthews - while the Arizona Coyotes would probably love to have the hometown hero.
The draft lottery is stressful for the pending first overall pick. It's even more so when you know that the Edmonton Oilers are probably going to somehow find a way to win. As McDavid said to Sportsnet:
"If I were to say anything to Matthews, it would be to keep an open mind," said McDavid. "But I know how hard that is to do.
"The reason it’s so stressful is that when they open one of those envelopes, your fate is being decided for the next how many years.
"An 18-year-old’s future — where you live, which friends you meet, your chances of winning a Stanley Cup, where you might find love — rests on which logo is on that golden card.
"It even affects the taxes you’ll pay," McDavid said.
Jeebus.
If you want to watch the fate of an 18 year old get decided, NBCSN will be airing the Draft Lottery tonight at 8 PM Eastern. You can also catch a stream of it on NBC Sports Live Extra.