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Vancouver Canucks 14 Thoughts for the Last 14 Days of the Season

By David Joun

Mar 27, 2016; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Scott Darling (33) awaits start of play against the Chicago Blackhawks during the first period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 27, 2016; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Scott Darling (33) awaits start of play against the Chicago Blackhawks during the first period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Anne-Marie Sorvin-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jun 26, 2015; Sunrise, FL, USA; A general view of the podium on stage before the first round of the 2015 NHL Draft at BB&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /

Thought #9: The Draft Lottery is April 30th

The 2016 NHL Lottery Draft is set to take place in a month’s time and the Canucks are looking forward to it all too much. The Canucks sit with the third-best odds to win the Auston Matthews, which is just 11.5 percent under the new lottery odds.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are ever so close, sitting at the bottom of the league with two fewer points and a game in hand over Vancouver. The biggest threat is the 29th-place Edmonton Oilers team who look to draft their millionth-ever first-overall pick. They have played three more than the Canucks but are tied with Vancouver at 67 points apiece.

RELATED: What does Drafting Auston Matthews Accomplish?

The thing about this year’s draft is that after Auston Matthews and the “Big Three” consisting of forwards Patrick Laine, Jesse Puljujarvi, and Matthew Tkachuk, there are a plethora of defencemen available. After months of Jacob Chychrun in the running as the top defenceman available, the table has now turned and the consensus has shifted towards others like Olli Juolevi and Mikhail Sergachev.

If a team finishes last, the worst it can drop down to is fourth overall. If a team finishes third-last, the worst it can drop down to is sixth overall. Auston Matthews would be the best, but others may do fine, too.

Of course, I would love the Canucks to trade up for another top-ten pick! Flipping a second round pick (or two) and some more for a, let’s say, a seventh-overall pick? Have fun with that, Jimmy. With Nail Yakupov‘s name in the market, could the Canucks use one of their second-round picks to throw an offer at Edmonton?

You can never have too many picks. But can you have too many injuries?

Next: Thought #10: Should Vancouver Thank Injuries?

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