The Arizona Coyotes were one of 14 teams participating in the 2016 NHL Draft lottery on April 30th. Unfortunately, the team gained no ground and will still pick 7th overall in the draft.
The primary story around the Arizona Coyotes heading into the 2015-16 season dealt with presumptive number one overall pick Auston Matthews.
Born and raised here in the desert, the assumption was that the Coyotes would tank their way to the first overall pick and Matthews would be the hometown hero.
Saturday night, the NHL conducted the 2016 NHL Draft lottery and things did not play out according to the fairy tale script. Auston Matthews will most likely begin his NHL career in Toronto.
The Toronto Maple Leafs, Winnipeg Jets, and Columbus Blue Jackets will receive the top three selections in the 2016 draft. The Arizona Coyotes neither gained nor lost any ground and remained in the 7th slot.
The Coyotes remaining 7th overall effectively kills most any scenario that the team will attempt to make a headline grabbing trade for Auston Matthews.
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The cost would be tremendous, to say the least, and would undoubtedly require Oliver Ekman-Larsson and the 7th overall pick just to start the talks. There’s simply no conceivable way for the Arizona Coyotes to acquire the hometown kid without giving up the farm.
Ultimately, giving up the farm would be a foolish endeavor. The 7th overall pick in the draft will allow the team to select a highly regarded defenseman such as Olli Juelovi or Mikhail Sergachev.
With defense being the biggest hole on the Yotes’ roster, that’s a hell of a consolation prize indeed.
There will also be several prized forwards hovering around after the top three picks, including a youngster named Matthew Tkachuk whom Arizona Coyotes fans may recognize as the son of their first captain, Keith Tkachuk.
After the draft, Anthony LeBlanc remarked that the Arizona Coyotes, “would’ve liked to have received the #1 pick but we’re going into preparing for this draft with two very good 1st round picks.”
While the immediate fanfare and impact from someone like Auston Matthews will not be a reality next fall in Arizona, the Coyotes are still primed to select an excellent player who can play a huge part in the team’s rebuild moving forward.
And beyond that, much like last season’s draft which secured future franchise centerman Dylan Strome, the Arizona Coyotes have two picks in the first round.
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There’s plenty to be excited about, despite the sadness of missing out on Matthews.
And hey, at least the Oilers didn’t win the lottery again.