I needed a day or so away from the Oilers to reset. It was all too much for me to take. I was emotional because of the season and how it unfolded and I was emotional from the Ryan Smyth sendoff. That Smyth ceremony, which lasted the entire game, was by far the best thing the Oilers have ever done for a retiring player. It was perfect.
But now our eyes move away from the past and once again look towards the future as the NHL Draft Lottery is upon us. The Oilers leapfrogged the Panthers with that win against Linden's Canucks and now sit in 28th place in the NHL. That victory means that there is a very significant chance that the Oilers will end up choosing 4th in the NHL Entry Draft. I would be more annoyed at this save but for the fact that the win was the perfect way to say goodbye to Smytty and I hate the Canucks. Oh, and there's a definite top 4 in the Draft and every single one of those kids could help the Oil in some way.
So as it stands Edmonton has just a 14.2% chance at winning the lottery and choosing 1st Overall. Those arent great odds. The better way to look at it (from an Oiler perspective) is that they have a 58% chance to Draft no lower than 3rd or a 42% chance to Draft 4th. No matter which way you cut it they will get their hands on an excellent player.
The Oilers have been the stars of the Draft lottery for too long and it's embarrassing being there again with another chance to win it all, but despite that embarrassment MacT isnt going to trade that pick unless he can get an impact player or impressive package for it. As much as the fans are sick of the Draft, the fact is that Edmonton hasnt been let down by its drafted players yet. Sure, Yakupov had a poor 2nd season but so did the entire sophomore class of 2013-2014 and nobody is racing to label Huberdeau or Galchenyuk busts.
The Oilers are going to get their 2C or a future top 2 D with this pick, wherever it eventually ends up. The pick will fill a massive hole so if any other team wants to make an offer on it they better start with something big. MacT said that last year teams made offers but nothing that came close to the value of the 7th Overall pick. Now the Oil are picking 4th or higher. Who is going to offer the silver fox the right deal?
The NHL Draft Lottery will be on TSN at 6PM Mountain Time. Lottery On!
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