Edited Mar. 9, 2018 at 4:10 p.m.
Well the odds are no..
Heck, they got a generational talent in McDavid, and they may get another one this summer in Dalhin and they STILL cant make the playoffs...
I really don't understand how this works.
2016: Puljujarvi, 4th overall.
2015: McDavid, 1st overall.
2014: Draisaitl, 3rd overall.
2013: Nurse, 7th overall.
2012: Yakupov, 1st overall.
2011: Nugent-Hopkins, 1st overall, Klefbom, 19th overall.
2010: Taylor Hall, 1st overall.
2009: Paajarvi, 1st overall.
2008: Eberle, 22nd overall.
2007: Gagner 6th overall, Plante 15th overall, Nash 21st overall.
Edmonton's draft position between 2007-2016 (10 drafts)? 4.7 or 5th overall. Yes that's right they averaged a lottery pick for an entire decade.
Edmonton has made the playoffs ONE TIME since 2006..
This kind of pisses me off to an extent too. Edmonton is basically being rewarded for epic incompetence. and straight up neglect I mean it's not like the Oilers had lottery picks in terrible drafts - no - they have had lottery picks in just about every draft over the last decade and they still suck.... It's not like the Oilers drafted terrible players either.. Yakupov and Paajarvi were arguably "busts" but that is no excuse for what's going on in Edmonton. Either way no one in Edmonton knows how to run a hockey team.... They actually believe if they take the "best player" in every draft they will somehow draft themselves into a playoff team... Sorry, but GM's actually have to design a team the draft cant design the team for them.... For years I advocated the Edmonton trade their pick for a player they could use to fill holes - that would make their team better, but nope...... Edmonton is a perfect example of a collection of "hockey minds" that don't know what the hell they're doing ..... Edmonton's brass is ABSOLUTELY terrible at asset management... Edmonton could have traded some of their picks for players they needed to make their team better... It's mind-boggling. I mean 1st overall picks can pretty much get you anything your team needs, what do they do? draft again.
I mean one year they may really really need a #1 defenseman so what do they do? do they use the pick to trade for one? NOPE then draft another forward...Another left wing or center, positions they're already deep in..... Because you know, you gotta take the best player available right?
And you can absolutely BET Edmonton will win the lotto next month and will land ANOTHER franchise player in Dalhin.....
It's like Edmonton only exists to pick in the top 10 every year and top 5 most years while being flat out failures in the regular season so they can take another young player from another team that EARNED their draft position by just being bad - NOT incompetent..
What can you really say?
IMO, if Edmonton does end up drafting 1st overall again there needs to be rules put in place that allows teams to draft 1st overall X amount of times in X window, because this is just ridiculous.