2018 NHL Draft Lottery: 5 Winners And Losers
The 2018 NHL Draft Lottery either went well or went terribly for teams. Let’s look at five winners and losers from it.
The 2018 NHL Draft Lottery was held on Saturday night. In a huge surprise, Buffalo finally won something meaningful in the NHL, as the Buffalo Sabres finished the night with the first overall pick. The Carolina Hurricanes moved all the way up to the second pick and the Montreal Canadiens picked up the third overall pick.
Of course, it didn’t go well for everyone. Let’s look at the five winners and five losers from the draft lottery.
Loser: Chicago Blackhawks
The moment it was announced the final three teams would know which pick they had later on Saturday night, everyone assumed the Chicago Blackhawks were going to be one of the final three teams. After all, getting a major media market to tune in while biting their nails is a heck of a way to ensure you get a ton of people watching the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
It turns out people were expecting the wrong major media market. The Blackhawks really could have used any pick in the top three, but Rasmus Dahlin would have been perfect for them. Chicago needs to rebuild their blueline. Dahlin would have been perfect for them. Heck, even Andrei Svechnikov or Filip Zadina would have given them another dynamic forward. Instead, the Blackhawks got the eighth overall pick.
Granted, Chicago will probably find an excellent player there, as this is a deep draft. But they won’t find a defenseman as great as Dahlin.
Winner: The Western Conference
Congratulations Western Conference teams, you have won a prize. Barring a trade, you won’t have Dahlin, Svechnikov, Zadina, and one of Brady Tkachuk or Adam Boqvist in your conference. Each of the top four picks and five of the top six picks belong to an Eastern Conference team.
Loser: Vancouver Canucks
You could argue no team in the NHL could have used Dahlin more than the Vancouver Canucks. There is a slight chance they could get a decent consolation prize in fellow Swedish defenseman Adam Boqvist, but in a draft full of defensemen, it’s hard to see him falling all the way to seventh.
The Canucks will have their pick of a pretty excellent group of blueliners. But this is another year Vancouver hasn’t won the draft lottery. In fact, they’ve only drafted in the top three of the entry draft three times. And two of those picks weren’t even their own original pick. It’s hard to get that unlucky. You have to feel bad for Vancouver.
Winner: Carolina Hurricanes
Unfortunately, the 2018 NHL Draft won’t have any top centers available. That’s the only way the lottery could have gone better for the Carolina Hurricanes. They’re going to be able to draft a skilled forward, which is what they really need.
So who should the Hurricanes draft? Judging by their scoring woes, Svechnikov is probably the right choice. He’s a natural goal scorer who could help create some excitement in Carolina. Svechnikov’s shot is very similar to Patrik Laine’s. And unlike the 2016 second overall pick, Svechnikov generates more shots on goal.
But even if the Hurricanes go against the grain and pick Zadina, he’s an excellent playmaker who can score enough to open things up for his top-notch passing. Regardless of who Carolina picks, they’re getting an elite talent.
Loser: Edmonton Oilers
Quick show of hands, how many people assumed the Edmonton Oilers were going to win the 2018 NHL Draft Lottery. Come on, don’t be shy. Admit it. Deep down, you wouldn’t have even been mad if the Oilers won the lottery. You’d just be impressed.
Edmonton will enter the 2018 NHL Draft with the 10th overall pick. In a deep draft, that’s not an awful spot to be in. However, it will basically ensure the Oilers will get whatever’s left after the top 10. Depending on what they’re looking for, that’s either going to be a really good thing or a really bad thing.
Because of all the great defensemen in this draft, a forward falling like Filip Forsberg in 2013 is plausible. The Oilers would welcome that. They need as many skilled players as possible and Edmonton could be in a very good position to get one.
However, if the Oilers want to address their blue line, it’s likely most of the great defensemen will be gone by the 10th pick. And judging by Edmonton’s lack of organization depth for defensemen, Edmonton would probably welcome the chance to get a talented blueliner. They’ll have to pick between a skilled forward or a defenseman who’s probably inferior to the forward. Does anyone trust Peter Chiarelli to make the right decision there?
Winner: New York Islanders
Back in October, everyone thought the New York Islanders would have at most one lottery pick. However, thanks to the failures of the Flames and Isles, they now possess two. The Islanders have the 11th and 12th overall picks in the first-round.
This gives them a bit of flexibility. Obviously, they can keep both picks and probably get two good players. But the Islanders will also be in a position to trade one of them for more immediate help. Also, if the Isles really love a player, they have the ammunition to trade up and grab him.
Loser: Arizona Coyotes
Goodness gracious, what did the Arizona Coyotes do to warrant not getting a top-three lottery pick? Since the start of the 21st century, they’ve only had two top three picks – Dylan Strome and Kyle Turris. The Coyotes were on pace to finish with the best lottery odds. Unfortunately, they did too well after their historically awful start.
A bad team starts winning and hurts their chances of getting a top three pick. Doesn’t this seem backwards? Well, it should. The Gold Drafting method, first proposed several years ago, would reward a team like the Coyotes. Teams who still fight for points after being eliminated should be rewarded, not hurt.
Unfortunately, because of a really bad lottery system that encourages teams to tank hard and tank often, the Coyotes won’t have a top three pick. Even though, frankly, they deserve one for ending the season on such a positive note.
Winner: Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens moved up to get the third overall pick. This is perfect for them, because they’re going to get a darn good player. And the Canadiens will have options too. Do they go with Svechinkov or Zadina? Montreal could sure use a skilled forward. Even though neither of the two likely top three draft picks are centers. But Brady Tkachuk is one and he’s not too far behind those two.
However, suppose the Canadiens want to add a blueliner. That’s great, this is a deep draft for them. If the Canadiens love Adam Boqvist, they could grab him with the third overall pick and it would be a justifiable stretch. But maybe Montreal loves someone else. They could trade down and get even more draft picks. Because trust me, if the Canadiens are interested in shopping the third overall pick, they won’t have a shortage of suitors.
Winner: Buffalo Sabres
For so long, the Buffalo Sabres have been treated unjustly by the draft lottery. They’ve been bad for many years and only have Jack Eichel to show for it. But now the Sabres, thanks to getting the top pick, will have Rasmus Dahlin.
No team in the league needed him more than Buffalo. Once he’s drafted, Dahlin will immediately be the Sabres best overall defenseman. Acquiring the top pick also gives Buffalo some flexibility, as they could trade Rasmus Ristolainen should they decide to shake up their failing roster a bit.
The Sabres rebuild still has a long way to go. And this front office has to use their draft picks more wisely than the previous regime did. But being able to draft Dahlin is a huge gain for the Sabres. That should help jumpstart their rebuild. Buffalo now has a core of guys you can build a team around – Eichel, Casey Mittelstadt, and Dahlin.
Loser: Ottawa Senators
Two franchises, both alike in mediocrity. The Ottawa Senators finished with the second-worst record in the NHL, giving them the second-best chances of getting the top pick. However, they’ll be drafting fourth. And while the Senators will surely be able to get a great player there, it won’t be the game-changing talent they need.
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Dahlin could have served as an immediate replacement for Erik Karlsson. Or, if the Senators signed their captain to an extension, they could have formed an impressive duo. Instead, Ottawa will be stuck with someone like Adam Boqvist, Oliver Wahlstrom, or Brady Tkachuk.