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Canucks might have just suffered a 2004-level historical misfortune in draft lottery
TL;DR
The Vancouver Canucks may have experienced a significant misfortune in the draft lottery, reminiscent of the 2004 NHL Draft. Historical comparisons highlight the potential impact of their draft position on future success.
Key points
- Vancouver Canucks faced draft lottery misfortune
- Comparison to the 2004 NHL Draft
- Top prospects included Alex Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin
Canucks might have just suffered a 2004-level historical misfortune in draft lottery originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
There's been an old draft ranking circulating on hockey social media recently. It depicts the top prospects in the 2004 NHL Draft.
Your brain likely came up with the first two: Alex Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin.
The problem comes with what happens after them. It's not pretty.
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There has to be at least some feeling like that among the Vancouver Canucks' leadership on Tuesday night.
In a draft with probable top pick Gavin McKenna and right-behind-him Ivar Sternberg, the Canucks entered the lottery with the best odds at the No. 1 pick.
Instead, they didn't get the first pick, and they missed out on the second, as well.
They landed at No. 3, where it's very possible they don't get either McKenna or Sternberg.
It'd be quite the feat if that duo turned into Ovechkin and Malkin, two of the all-time great hockey players.
But it's also safe to expect them to be very good, and if they're the first two picks, Vancouver will genuinely have to figure out how to make the most of a situation that didn't work out in their favor at all.
The Canucks were likely dreaming of McKenna. Even when they woke up, they would've been happy with Sternberg.
And now there's a chance Vancouver gets neither.
They did what they could to tank, trading away lots of competent players to make sure they had the fewest points in the league this season.
But the lottery means they weren't guaranteed one of those top-two picks, and in the end, it shook out against them.
It's just another negative in a Canucks era full of them.
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Q&A
What happened to the Vancouver Canucks in the draft lottery?
The Vancouver Canucks faced a misfortune in the draft lottery that has drawn comparisons to the 2004 NHL Draft.
Who were the top prospects in the 2004 NHL Draft?
The top prospects in the 2004 NHL Draft included Alex Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin.
Why is the 2004 NHL Draft significant for the Canucks?
The 2004 NHL Draft is significant for the Canucks due to the historical implications of their draft position and the impact it could have on the team's future.
