The 2018 NHL Draft Lottery happened last night in Toronto and the Edmonton Oilers found out they will be selecting 10th in the draft in June.
The Edmonton Oilers had a disappointing season and were looking for some luck on their end last night at the draft lottery. They only had a 5 percent chance of capturing the first pick, but it didn’t seem likely that would be the case. Especially since teams like Buffalo, Ottawa and Arizona had the best chances since they had the three worst records in the NHL.
That’s why the position order of this draft pick was of extreme importance not only for the organization but also to the fanbase as well. The Oilers stunk up the joint all year-long, and many felt that a high lottery draft pick would make up for that horrendous season.
Well last night in Toronto, it was announced that the Edmonton Oilers would get the 10th pick in the 2018 NHL Draft. It was surprising since a lot of experts had the Oilers around the 7th or 8th spot, but their odds went a lot lower based on their win/loss record. With the Oilers getting the 10th pick they have a lot of needs to be addressed to their team.
Needs
That was something that Edmonton Oilers General Manager Peter Chiarelli mentioned with Sportsnet right before the draft lottery:
"“If we’re going to draft on need, we would probably draft a puck-moving defenceman,” Source."
It seemed like a stark contrast to what he said weeks earlier or even after the draft lottery ended. He seems to be keeping an open mind on trying to trade the pick for a glaring hole that this team desperately needs: offensive-minded defencemen who’s main strength includes being the quarterback of the power play.
Keeping that pick as a trade asset in the short-term would be the only card that Chiarelli wants to play if there are teams who are interested in that pick. If he doesn’t get any suitors, he’ll be forced to draft a player that will fill that need. That pick could set the stage of Peter Chiarelli’s final attempt of steering the Oilers in the right direction. If that doesn’t happen, he’ll be out of a job.
We’ll be watching to see what Peter Chiarelli does next in the upcoming weeks. The 2018 NHL Draft will commence at Dallas, TX from June 22-23.