LOTTO LUCK: Oilers To Pick Tenth In 2018 Entry Draft

How did the Oilers lose an entry draft lottery?

I still can’t come to grips with it.

Incredibly, the Edmonton Oilers did not win last night’s NHL Draft Lottery. It would be Buffalo, who would win their first draft lottery in 31 years. The Sabres now hold the right to draft defenceman Rasmus Dahlin with the first pick in the NHL Draft. Carolina will draft second, while the Montreal Canadiens will draft third this coming June.

The Oilers would fall from one position from ninth to tenth overall.

I DON’T LIKE IT

We all had fun last year when the Oilers made it to the second round of the playoffs. Consequently, they didn’t end up drafting until 22nd overall. That’s all well and good, the Oilers were ineligible to win the lottery last year. But this year? They had a full-on five percent chance at winning the damn thing. How this didn’t translate into at least a top three pick is...strange to me.

PROSPECT PROSPECTICUS

The Oilers have a very good chance at getting a very good prospect with the tenth overall pick. Bode Wilde is an RHD with the US National Development team who could be hanging around at the tenth overall spot. Barrett Hayton is a centre with the OHL Greyhounds who performed at a near point per game rate this past year. RHD Noah Dobson (Acadie-Bathurst / QMJHL) could be Edmonton’s selection at 10 overall.

Or, y’know, the Oilers could get cute and move the pick.

The Oilers are scheduled to pick tenth in June. What will they do?