:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/49239993/GettyImages-453131816.0.jpg)
With the Canucks 3-2 win over Los Angeles last night, Vancouver now finds themselves with 73 points on the season and the Oilers are one step closer to finishing last and securing a fifth first overall pick in last seven years. The Cancuks’ win now means that the Oilers can finish no better than 28th and can draft no worse that sixth overall. If we assume that the ISS rankings are accurate that means the Oilers will be selecting from this group.
| ISS Rank | Player | Position | Birth | Shot | Height | Weight | Team | League |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Auston Matthews | C | 9/17/1997 | L | 6.01.5 | 210 | Zurich ZSC | SuiA |
| 2 | Jesse Puljujarvi | RW | 5/7/1998 | R | 6.03 | 203 | Karpat | FinE |
| 3 | Patrik Laine | LW | 4/19/1998 | R | 6.04 | 209 | Tappara | FinE |
| 4 | Alexander Nylander | RW | 3/2/1998 | R | 6.00.5 | 179 | Mississauga | OHL |
| 5 | Matthew Tkachuk | LW | 12/11/1997 | L | 6.01.25 | 195 | London | OHL |
| 6 | Jakob Chychrun | LD | 3/31/1998 | L | 6.02 | 215 | Sarnia | OHL |
In the battle for last place the Oilers are facing off against the Maple Leafs and the Blue Jackets. Of the three, the Oilers likely have the easiest remaining schedule, a home and home with the Canucks, but with only two games remaining instead of three the Oilers are still very much in this race.
The Leafs will be at home this Wednesday to take on the Blue Jackets, a game every Oilers fan will hope goes into overtime, and then finish with two road games against Philadelphia and New Jersey. After visiting Toronto, the Blue Jackets will play in Buffalo before heading home to finish the season against the Blackhawks. As of this morning, this is what the bottom of the NHL standings look like.
| Rank | Team | GP | W | L | OT | PTS | ROW | % Chance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | Edmonton | 80 | 30 | 43 | 7 | 67 | 26 | 20.0% |
| 29 | Toronto | 79 | 28 | 40 | 11 | 67 | 22 | 13.5% |
| 28 | Columbus | 79 | 31 | 40 | 8 | 70 | 25 | 11.5% |
| 27 | Winnipeg | 79 | 32 | 39 | 8 | 72 | 30 | 9.5% |
| 26 | Calgary | 79 | 33 | 40 | 6 | 72 | 31 | 8.5% |
| 25 | Vancouver | 79 | 30 | 36 | 13 | 73 | 26 | 7.5% |
| 24 | Buffalo | 79 | 33 | 35 | 11 | 77 | 31 | 6.5% |
| 23 | Arizona | 79 | 35 | 37 | 7 | 77 | 34 | 6.0% |
| 22 | Montréal | 79 | 36 | 37 | 6 | 78 | 31 | 5.0% |
| 21 | Ottawa | 79 | 36 | 34 | 9 | 81 | 30 | 3.5% |
| 20 | New Jersey | 79 | 37 | 34 | 8 | 82 | 35 | 3.0% |
| 19 | Colorado | 79 | 39 | 36 | 4 | 82 | 35 | 2.5% |
| 18 | Carolina | 79 | 34 | 29 | 16 | 84 | 33 | 2.0% |
| 17 | Boston | 79 | 40 | 28 | 11 | 90 | 37 | 1.0% |
Factoring in schedule, Micah Blake McCurdy places the Oilers' chances of picking first overall at 17% right now. Get excited, Oilers fans, it's going to be a fun* last week.
First overall pick chances. Canadian teams together have a 68% chance. pic.twitter.com/NE3bfRS4kl
— Micah Blake McCurdy (@IneffectiveMath) April 5, 2016
*The Copper & Blue in no way guarantees that this will be fun. If it ever was fun, it certainly stopped being fun a while ago.