A recent three-game winning streak through games against the Pacific Division’s top teams forced the Vancouver Canucks down the 2016 Draft Lottery standings. They responded with big losses against two of the worst teams in the division, 2-6 against the Edmonton Oilers and 3-7 against the Calgary Flames, but that will not make draft day any easier.
Canucks general manager Jim Benning seems to have an easy plan: pick a defenceman unless one of the available forwards is too good to pass up.
In other words, if Vancouver ends up being one of the lottery winners, picking in the top three of the draft, they will select one of Auston Matthews, Patrik Laine and Jesse Puljujarvi.