Canadiens Zeroing In On Strong NHL Draft Lottery Odds

As the season draws to a close, the Montreal Canadiens are all but assured of picking quite early in the 2023 NHL Draft.

Currently sitting in 28th place in the NHL standings, the Habs have two games left in their season with back-to-back games against the New York Islanders and the Boston Bruins.

The Canadiens are trailed, so to speak, by the Arizona Coyotes in 27th place who have just one more point in the standings with only one game left to play.

But after Tuesday night, 27th place is the highest the Canadiens could finish this season.

The Philadelphia Flyers, who will now finish the season in 26th place, won their game against the Columbus Blue Jackets last night; securing two extra points and putting them out of reach of Montreal and Arizona.

This means that, even if Montreal were to secure points in their next couple of games, the highest they could finish is 27th overall, giving them the sixth-best odds in the NHL Draft Lottery.

Above all, the Montreal Canadiens are now assured of selecting in the top 8 in the 2023 NHL Draft with the potential for some lottery magic down the line on May 8.

Montreal Canadiens Draft Lottery Outlook

The Canadiens have two games remaining on their schedule against the New York Islanders and the Boston Bruins.

After the Pittsburgh Penguins’ loss last night, the Islanders have a golden opportunity to clinch a playoff spot with a victory over the injured Canadiens.

It would seem like a do-or-die game for an Islanders club that not only traded their 1st-round pick to acquire Bo Horvat, but also a very mature club that is seemingly in a win-now mentality.

After their game on Long Island, the Canadiens quickly return home for their final game the very next day against the Boston Bruins.

Yes, the Bruins will likely be icing some Providence Bruins players in their lineup, but that hasn’t stopped them from winning over the last week either.

It stands to reason that the Canadiens could indeed lose both upcoming games, especially with their choice of recalls as well.

It seems the goal for the Montreal Canadiens at the moment is to finish in 28th place and secure the fifth-best odds of the NHL Draft Lottery and have the Laval Rocket qualify for the AHL Playoffs.

With the recent recalls of Joel Teasdale and Frédéric Allard, it remains to be seen how the Canadiens will be able to measure up against these two seemingly playoff-bound clubs.

Regardless of the outcome, the Canadiens will likely still be finishing the season in a very intriguing position heading into the summer.