Canadiens Strength Of Schedule & NHL Draft Lottery Implications

The Montreal Canadiens have a difficult stretch of games to close out the season, and that may be good news for their Draft Lottery outlook.

The Canadiens have their work cut out for them; as their final few games are against the Florida Panthers, Carolina Hurricanes, Boston Bruins and Toronto Maples; just to name a few.

Even other future opponents like the Washington Capitals and New York Islanders are still in a heated battle for the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference, and will be playing do-or-die games until the end of the season.

According to Tankathon, the Canadiens actually have the second most difficult schedule in the NHL to close out the season; and that’s notwithstanding what’s going on internally.

The Canadiens also have to finish the season without some key elements along the way, as Kaiden Guhle and Josh Anderson are now sidelined for the rest of the season.

It’ll be a tough road for the Canadiens, who face the Panthers on Thursday night, followed by the Hurricanes on Saturday; but you just know they’re not going to go down without a fight as they continue to push their opponents to the limit on a nightly basis.

Montreal Canadiens Draft Lottery Rivals

Meanwhile, other clubs like the Philadelphia Flyers and the Arizona Coyotes, who are directly above the Montreal Canadiens in the NHL standings, find themselves with one of the lighter schedules in the league.

The Coyotes are set to face the Seattle Kraken thrice in the next two weeks, while also the San Jose Sharks, Anaheim Ducks and Vancouver Canucks down the stretch.

Meanwhile, the Flyers, who have two games in hand on the Canadiens, finish their season with two games against the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Chicago Blackhawks.

It’ll be a true race for the 28th place, or rather the 5th-best odds in the NHL Draft Lottery, as the Canadiens, Flyers and Coyotes are all separated by only four points.

However, the Canadiens’ difficult schedule, coupled with the toll this season has taken on many of its players, might be the final nail required to secure a bottom-five finish for the rebuilding club.