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Around the NHL: Nashville Predators’ point streak extended to 18 games, Josh Doan scores in his first NHL game, and more!
There are just 22 days left in the National Hockey League regular season.
With that being said, there’s a ton of notes from around the league, including an unstoppable team, a close playoff race in the east, and a young player coming into his own.
Let’s dig into the latest edition of Around the NHL!
2024 NHL Draft Lottery Odds: Which teams have the best chance to select Macklin Celebrini?
It’s that time of the year again.
If you’re here for the first time, welcome! Your favorite NHL team is lousy. If you’ve been here before, at least you’re building toward the future… right?
When the Chicago Blackhawks landed Connor Bedard, it had franchise-changing impacts already being witnessed in the Windy City. This year, the prize is Macklin Celebrini, a Boston University standout having one of the best college freshman seasons we’ve seen in the modern era. He’s not at Bedard level, but he’s a player many scouts believe you can build a team around.
Teams can only win the lottery twice in a five-year span. Chicago, for example, could do it one more time before they’re no longer eligible.
As a result of Draft Lottery rule changes made effective in 2021, a team may only move up a maximum of 10 spots from their finishing position. That means only the bottom 11 teams have a shot at the No. 1 overall pick.
As Flames add draft picks, Tod Button and scouting staff staying busy
And while it’s not believed that this draft features a generational superstar like last year with Connor Bedard, Button likes what he sees from the 2024 class.
And additions to the scouting staff could make a big difference, too.
Button is feeling optimistic about what the draft could bring.
“I’ll be honest with you, at the start of the year I was concerned with how deep the draft was,” Button admitted. “But, as usually happens, as the year goes on guys emerge that you may not have known about or they develop a little later.
It’s almost playoff szn: a Calgary Flames prospect update
This week, let’s talk playoffs!
The NCAA conference tournaments are complete. The NCAA begins their national championship tournament on Thursday. In Canada, major junior playoffs begin this coming weekend.
In terms of the AHL, the Calgary Wranglers are virtually guaranteed a playoff spot. After Tuesday’s loss to Coachella Valley, their magic number to clinch a playoff spot was seven points – earned by them or not earned by Henderson – with nine games left. It’s not a lock, but it’s pretty close. If the Wranglers go .500, they’re in easily.
Huska’s Calgary Flames Have an Always Darkest Before the Dawn Complex
As of March 27, the Calgary Flames are coming off their fourth loss in a row. The latest came against the Chicago Blackhawks – a team with only 21 wins in 72 games.
While things may seem to be at the proverbial rock bottom of the 2023-2024 season, this current slide is nothing out of the ordinary for this edition of the Calgary Flames. Calgary has a strong tendency to hit these slumps and follow them up with winning streaks.