Arizona Coyotes Land #3 Draft Pick In NHL Lottery

With A 9.5% Chance Of Winning The First Pick, Oilers Strike Gold, Arizona Coyotes Strike Cactus..

Even though the Arizona Coyotes and the Buffalo Sabres had better odds of capturing the first pick in the 2015 NHL Draft Lottery, the Edmonton Oilers came up big AGAIN. The luck of the Oilers is almost too hard to swallow. This marks the fourth time in the past six draft lotteries that they’ve won the first pick.

The thing that bothers most of us loyal hockey fans is: IT HASN’T HELPED THEM SUCCEED. In those six years the highest point accumulation was 74 in the ’11-’12 season which still only earned them a fifth place finish in their division.

The Arizona Coyotes must be a bit disappointed. I myself was so disappointed that the team didn’t get at LEAST the #2 pick, that I had to sleep on it before I wrote this post. I had dreams of Jack Eichel on a rookie line of Max Domi, and Anthony “Tony D” Duclair skating circles around the opposition with their youthful exuberance… and now that’s not going to happen.

Will the Arizona Coyotes still choose a good quality young player? Yes. Noah Hanifin has been billed as the third selection, but don’t forget Dylan Strome, and Mitch Marner have been possible names that teams may choose over him.

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I guess it all boils down to the team’s needs when their name is called at the NHL Draft on June 26 this summer. In the Arizona Coyotes case, they must go with the best player on the board, because you see — they need help both on offense and defense, since they were depressingly poor in both areas this past season.

Don’t get me wrong, I think there have been some talented third picks in the draft.. Johathon Towes and Henrik Sedin comes to mind, but it is still frustrating that the Arizona Coyotes didn’t get one of the first two picks. I know Buffalo is feeling the pain as well, but at least they will get Jack Eichel.

I’m bummed out because Eichel would have been a good fit here, (well…for that matter a good fit anywhere with his talents) and he had the potential of turning this team around.

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I hope they will go for a forward, as they are pretty deep in D-men right now, with Connor Murphy, Michael Stone, Brandon Gormley, John Moore, Klas Dahlbeck, and Philip Samulesson in the AHL ready to come up at the right moment. Add in All-Star D-man Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and we have maybe a need for one more experienced blue liner to augment that part of the equation.

More importantly, they need some additional offensive help that perhaps a Dylan Stromer, or Mitch Marner can provide.

With GM Don Maloney’s hesitance to bring young players to the NHL before they are ready, they may not help this team next season. Maloney has been heard saying that he wants a quick turnaround from the dismal performance he witnessed this season, so he may need to fall back on his beliefs a bit to see any improvements so swiftly. Either that or sign some free agents, or make some more trades.

I seriously doubt that the Oilers or Sabres will want to trade down on draft day. And, I wouldn’t give up an asset like an Oliver Ekman-Larsson to get there. This draft is generational, in that we may not see two great players of McDavid and Eichel’s skills in next year’s draft.

There is Arizona product Auston Matthews, who is already being projected as the first pick next year, but there is still time for that to develop. Let’s hope that the Desert Dogs don’t do so horribly next year to earn them a shot at the first pick again. The odds just don’t seem to be working for them.

There very well could be some wheeling’ and dealing’ come draft day. If were Edmonton, I would try to trade down, and get some experienced DEFENSIVE players, and a better goalie. Since the Arizona Coyotes have a stockpile of D-men, and a fair share of goalies in their system, they could try to entice the Oilers out of the first pick.

For some reason, I don’t see that happening… not for a player of McDavid’s caliber. Nor do I see the Sabres trading down to give up on Eichel. Both of these outstanding prospects will change a franchise. Remember what Sid ‘the kid’ Crosby did for the Penguins? Yeah… that good.

Next: Arizona Coyotes Draft Option: Mitch Marner

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