Lucky loser hoping to hit NHL lottery

EDMONTON — The annual NHL draft lottery is for the worst-picture nominees, unlike the Academy awards.

Best loser becomes best winner Tuesday if the right bingo balls come up.

The Edmonton Oilers have the third best odds at 14.4 per cent of getting the No. 1 pick in June, based on their 28th place standing of 67 points. Scott Howson, the Oilers VP of hockey operations, will be in Toronto for the TSN TV show, not GM Craig MacTavish, who has a year-end presser in Edmonton. Howson has done this before, of course, when he was the Columbus general manager. In fact, he was the one sitting by former Oilers’ GM Steve Tambellini in 2012 when the Blue Jackets went in with the best odds as the 30th place team in regular season (65 points) but the Oilers at 29th (74 points) won the lottery.

“My heart was pounding (when it got down to the final two teams with a chance),” said Howson.

The Oilers took winger Nail Yakupov. Columbus took Ryan Murray.

Buffalo has the best odds at 25 per cent, after finishing dead-last with 51 points. Florida has an 18.8 per cent chance after being 29th at 66 points.

In an awful year for Canadian teams, Calgary has fourth best odds 10.7 per cent, Vancouver sixth (6.2 per cent), Toronto eighth (3.6) and Winnipeg ninth (2.7). Ottawa would have the 10th best odds but they gave up their first-rounder to Anaheim in the Bobby Ryan trade.