The Buffalo Sabres, Montreal Canadiens and Carolina Hurricanes each have won spots in the top three of the 2018 NHL draft at Saturday night’s NHL Draft Lottery. Any of the three can win the first overall pick and consensus first-overall pick defenseman Rasmus Dahlin in upcoming draft. The three teams will have to wait until the second intermission in tonight’s game between the San Jose Sharks and the Vegas Golden Knights to find out which of them won the lottery.
Buffalo, which has had the best chance to win the lottery in three of the last five years are still in it as the Sabres hope to add a franchise changing defenseman to their core of young players including Jack Eichel. The Sabres drafted eighth each of the last two years. They picked second in 2015 when they took Jack Eichel.
Montreal, who had the fourth best chance to get the top pick also won the lottery and will move up. The addition of Dahlin to their defense could help rebuild their blueline after an injury-plagued season by their top defenseman Shea Weber.
Carolina is the biggest surprise as they had the 11th best chance to fall into the top three. The franchise, flooded with quality young defensemen, would only get richer if they end up with the first overall pick.
Regardless of the top pick, there are several other top players that will round out the top three, including forwards Andrei Svechnikov, Filip Zadina and Brady Tkachuk.
The lottery really hates the Coyotes
Also the Oilers were 1 spot away from being in the top 3. Wow
No they weren’t… Ottawa is picking 4th. Edmonton is picking 10th. I don’t see how your math equates to that as being 1 spot away from being in the top 3.
They were actually 2 spots away so i was wrong there but you dont get the idea either way. Hurricanes were in spot 11 Oilers were in spot 9 as far as odds go
Again – even IF the Oilers were in the Hurricanes spot and had their odds it doesn’t mean their ball would have been picked. That’s purely speculative theory on your part.
Why not? Unless you think its rigged there is no reason to say otherwise
If you mean because a team in front of them got a lottery pick that still makes no sense. Spots in the order aren’t awarded… the teams are. Whether Edmonton was in 7th 8th 9th or 10th they still wouldn’t be “one spot away”.
Edmonton has won the lottery multiple times in recent memory (Hall, RNH, Draisait, McDavid, others I’m sure), I think it’s safe to say that the Oilers have done okay.
Don’t forget superstar Yakupov