While eight clubs continue to battle for their chance to drink from the Stanley Cup, on Saturday night, the bottom 15 NHL clubs get their opportunity to celebrate: the draft lottery.
Related: Your guide to the NHL Draft Lottery and the top 3 projected picks
The league will reveal which team has the right to select first overall in this year's entry draft, allowing them to land highly coveted prospect Rasmus Dahlin.
As is the case with any lottery, the outcome is sure to produce some disappointment, but with such a game-changing defenseman up for grabs, a few outcomes would be particularly devastating for some teams and fans.
Here are the four most aggravating potential results from the draft lottery.
4. Islanders win with Flames' pick
It's not often that a lottery team hopes its name isn't called, but that may be exactly how the Calgary Flames feel.
The Flames have the 12th-best chance to win (2.5 percent), but they traded that pick to the New York Islanders last offseason as part of the Travis Hamonic deal - meaning the Islanders have two chances to walk away with a lottery selection.
Calgary fell out of a playoff spot toward the end of the year, leading to head coach Glen Gulutzan's firing. It would add insult to injury for Flames fans if they missed out on potentially drafting first overall.
While running the draft simulator at Tankathon.com, we actually produced a scenario where the Islanders won the first and second overall selections.
Can you imagine?
3. Sabres can't catch a break
The Buffalo Sabres are that person who picks the same lottery numbers every week and only wins a free play, while their wealthier peers take home the big prizes.
Things just never seem to go the Sabres' way, no matter how hard they try to put themselves in position to get the top selection.
That was never more apparent than in 2015. After finishing the year with a league-worst 54 points, the team lost out on the first overall pick and had to settle for second.
The consolation prize was Jack Eichel - who's on the way to being an elite talent in his own right - but watching Connor McDavid go to the Oilers must have been gut-wrenching.
The Sabres enter Saturday with the best chance at snagging the first overall pick. There's no way they miss out again ... is there?
2. Blackhawks hit the jackpot
The Chicago Blackhawks have won three Stanley Cups in the last seven years. Come on.
The team just missed the postseason for the first time since 2007-08. Chicago can blame an injury to goaltender Corey Crawford, who didn't play after Dec. 23, and some underperforming players.
The Blackhawks still boast a solid core that includes Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith, Brandon Saad, Crawford, and budding prospect Alex DeBrincat.
With some better puck luck and their No. 1 goalie healthy, there is no reason the Blackhawks can't quickly return to contention. Watching them pick first overall thanks to one down year would be infuriating for the rest of the league.
1. Oilers win ... again
If the Edmonton Oilers somehow win the draft lottery again, listen closely and you might be able to hear the groans from every other fan base.
Since 2010, the Oilers have selected first overall four times, including a three-year run from 2010-12.
Year | Player Picked | Chance at Winning |
---|---|---|
2010 | Taylor Hall | 25% |
2011 | Ryan Nugent-Hopkins | 25% |
2012 | Nail Yakupov | 18.8% |
2015 | Connor McDavid | 11.5% |
What's even worse - depending on how you look at it - is that the Oilers don't have much to show for all that luck. Last season marked the first time the club made the playoffs in 11 years, but the team fell out of the picture again this season. Meanwhile, Taylor Hall (now a Hart Trophy nominee) and Nail Yakupov (now a healthy scratch in the playoffs) are both playing elsewhere.
If Edmonton wins again, you can bet fans will demand new rules to prevent that kind of draft dominance, no matter how conflicted Oilers fans may feel about the results.
(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)
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