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NHL Draft Tank Powerless Rankings: What if the Kings win the No. 1 pick?

Photo via Kings postgame braodcast photo by Josh Cooper
Photo via Kings postgame braodcast photo by Josh Cooper

(Welcome to the NHL Draft Tank Powerless Rankings, a weekly look at the race to the bottom in the League for the right to draft Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel.)

The Arizona Coyotes have one game left and 56 points. The Buffalo Sabres have two games remaining and have 54 points. The Coyotes have 19 regulation and overtime wins. The Sabres 15. Which means, if Buffalo comes up with three points against Columbus and Pittsburgh and Arizona loses to Anaheim in the final game of the year ... the Coyotes will have the best shot at the No. 1 pick. And the dream of Buffalo GM Tim Murray will officially be ruined. Oh well.

But with the potential elimination of the Boston Bruins and the donezo status of the Kings, there's a chance we could see one of the NHL's mega-franchises get one of these players. Alas, the glory of this lottery where everyone has a chance.

All draft odds are via the NHL Draft Simulator. 

What does the current race for McEichel look like? Here are this week’s Powerless Rankings…

14. Boston Bruins (95 points)

Current Draft Lottery Odds: 1.0 percent

Current projected finish: Ninth in the Eastern conference (85 percent)

If they don't make the playoffs, they will get the No. 1 pick. Well, it's a low chance, but commissioner Gary Bettman's relationship with Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs is uncomfortably close.

13. Los Angeles Kings (93 points)

Current Draft Lottery Odds: 2.0 percent

Current projected finish: Ninth in the Western Conference (100 percent)

Why was Kings coach Darryl Sutter smiling in his postgame interview after the Kings were eliminated by the Calgary Flames (photo above)? Because he knows the fix is in. Not really, but man, that would be something. What a 'consolation prize' winning the lottery would be for the Kings missing the postseason one year after winning the Stanley Cup.

Screen shot from http://nhllotterysimulator.com/#/
Screen shot from http://nhllotterysimulator.com/#/

12. Dallas Stars (90 points)

Current Draft Lottery Odds: 2.5  percent

Current projected finish: 10th in the Western Conference (75 percent)

Dallas beat Anaheim on Wednesday. Why? You keep playing well! Stop playing well if you want your new Modano. Then again, this team is set up pretty well for the future up front. It probably needs a defenseman more than a McEichel.

11. San Jose Sharks (89 points)

Current Draft Lottery Odds: 3.0 percent

Current projected finish: 11th in the Western Conference (54 percent)

San Jose is eliminated from the playoffs officially. Which means, its strange rebuild/refresh/tank will hit a crossroads at the draft lottery. Again, why did the Sharks opt to not really get better if they weren't bad enough to get a good draft position?

10. Florida Panthers (89 points)

Current Draft Lottery Odds: 3.5 percent

Current Projected Finish: 10th in the Eastern Conference (92 percent)

If you're going to go out, why not do it in a blaze of glory by essentially ousting the Bruins from playoff contention? No team with Jaromir Jagr in its lineup would dare tank.

9. Colorado Avalanche (88 points)

Current Draft Lottery Odds: 5.0 percent

Current projected finish: 12th in the Western Conference (80 percent)

With a win over Chicago on Saturday coupled with a San Jose loss, the Avalanche could jump the Sharks for a better record and hence worse odds to have the incredible 1-2-3 punch of Nathan MacKinnon, Matt Duchene and McEichel down the middle.

8. Columbus Blue Jackets (85 points)

Current Draft Lottery Odds: 6.0 percent

Current Projected Finish: 11th in Eastern Conference (88 percent)

The Blue Jackets' late-season run, they've gone 9-0-1 in their last 10 games, really screwed their chances at the Dynasty for Eternity with the Ryan Johansen/McEichel 1-2 punch. But if they win the No. 1 pick it would show karma in a major way. This team never quit.

7. Philadelphia Flyers (84 points)

Current Draft Lottery Odds: 6.5 percent

Current Projected Finish: 12th in the Eastern Conference (95 percent)

Vincent Lecavalier was pissed at Keegan Lowe, so he fought the Carolina youngster twice on Thursday night. This is probably because he knows he's getting slotted down the depth chart when the Flyers magically land McEichel (see Jacobs' relationship with Bettman as a guide for Philly owner Ed Snider and his closeness with th commish).

6. New Jersey Devils (78 points)

Current Draft Lottery Odds: 7.5 percent

Current Projected Finish: 13th in the Eastern Conference  (100 percent)

The Devils' tankerific 1-6-3 run down the stretch is probably too little too late. Then again, to win the lottery, could GM/coach/Mr. Everything Lou Lamoriello give the league an offer it can't refuse?

5. Carolina Hurricanes (71 points)

Current Draft Lottery Odds: 8.5 percent

Current Projected Finish: 14th in the Eastern Conference (100 percent)

The Hurricanes were in the bottom-three for most of the year. You have to give them some props for potentially playing their way out of the McEichel sweepstakes. A 7-3-1 stretch in Januaray officially moved them out of total tank territory.

4. Edmonton Oilers (61 points)

Current Draft Lottery Odds: 11.5 percent

Current Projected Finish: 13th in the Western Conference (100 percent)

They crushed their chances to stay within tanking range by spoiling Los Angeles' bid for the playoffs Tuesday. Good for them. And it may prevent us from seeing the Oilers ruin another top prospect.

3. Toronto Maple Leafs (67 points)

Current Draft Lottery Odds: 9.5 percent

Current Projected Finish: 15th in the Eastern Conference (100 percent)

Again, love it when a team with nothing to play for except draft position does the spoiler thing. Their shootout win April 5 over Ottawa damaged the Senators' playoff hopes for one hot minute.

2. Buffalo Sabres (54 points)

Current Draft Lottery Odds: 20 percent

Current Projected Finish: 16th in the Eastern Conference (100 percent)

Defeating Carolina in a crucial tank game Monday means there's still a chance Arizona can catch them and gives the Sabres a possibility to move down the lottery rankings. Murray is beating his head against the wall. How has this dragged out all year? If Arizona gets the league's worst record I want to see a shot of Murray screaming "MALONEY!!!!!" for Arizona GM Don Maloney's out-tanking him like Captain Kirk yelled "KHAAAAAAAAAN" in "Wrath of Khan".

1. Arizona Coyotes (56 points)

Current Draft Lottery Odds: 13.5 percent

Current Projected Finish: 14th in the Western Conference (100 percent)

The Coyotes have one game left -- against the Anaheim Ducks. The Ducks have positioning to play for. The Coyotes ... nothing. Except draft position. Do it Arizona.

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Josh Cooper is an editor for Puck Daddy on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

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