Dallas Stars Have Decent Odds In NHL Draft Lottery
By Josh Clark
If there’s one positive thing that came out of the Dallas Stars’ revolting 2016-17 season, it’s their position in the 2017 NHL Draft. Surprisingly enough, the Stars have a good shot at the first overall pick.
Someone once said that difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations. That means that no matter the rough path that you may have to endure, there’s always a brighter future ahead.
For the Dallas Stars’ sake, let’s hope this statement carries some sort of weight.
It’s been an ugly year for the Stars. After winning the Central Division in 2015-16 and falling one win short of the Western Conference Finals, Dallas took a severe dip. Injuries and a slow start helped contribute to the Stars falling behind early and never being able to recover.
A general inconsistency on defense and in the crease along with some of the worst special teams’ units in the NHL contributed to the Stars’ posting their second worst season in franchise history (34-37-11, 79 points).
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Along with the horrible season came the need for a lot of change, first and foremost being behind the bench. Last Sunday, general manager Jim Nill announced that the Stars would not bring Lindy Ruff back as head coach in 2017 and that they would immediately begin the search for a new bench boss.
On Thursday, it was officially announced that former Dallas Stars coach Ken Hitchcock would make a triumphant return and serve a second stint as the Stars’ head coach.
So the first big change has been made. While the next big move could come via trade between now and the beginning of free agency, the next move that will surely occur is the Dallas Stars’ first pick in the 2017 NHL entry draft.
And for the first time in what seems like a long time, the Stars will be one of the first teams called to make their selection.
In the recent years past, Dallas has typically settled for somewhere between the 10-14 pick in the first round. After making it to the “elite eight” per say last season, the Stars were awarded the 25th pick, which marked their latest first pick in over a decade.
Dallas Stars
But after a dreary 2016-17 year, the NHL Draft Lottery could make the Stars’ offseason look a little brighter.
In an article posted on NHL.com this past week, they released details about the 2017 NHL Draft Lottery. It will be held on April 29 at 7:00 p.m. CT and will be broadcast on NBC. The lottery will help determine the first 15 picks in the draft based on the 14 teams that did not make the Stanley Cup Playoffs and the newly formed Vegas Golden Knights.
The Dallas Stars, being one of these teams, have a solid shot at landing within the top eight, and possibly even the top five. In fact, the lowest pick the Stars can finish with in the first round is eleventh overall.
Only the top three picks will be chosen lottery style, and the final 12 will be awarded based on point totals from the season.
The likely question on everyone’s mind is in regards to whether the Dallas Stars have a chance at number one overall. Indeed, they do.
The allocation of odds has Dallas at a 5.8 percent chance at picking up the first overall pick. Considering they finished 24th in the NHL, they have seven teams (including Vegas) with higher odds than them. Colorado, who has the highest odds, sits at 18.0 percent.
Anything can happen in the lottery, as we all know. For example, the Edmonton Oilers finished 28th overall in the league in 2014-15 and still managed to secure the first overall pick.
Though the odds aren’t heavily in the Stars’ favor, they still have a shot. And even if they don’t pick up first, their odds will continue to go up as the second and third picks are selected.
Even in a worst case scenario, the Dallas Stars will still be looking good in the 2017 entry draft.
But what will they do with that draft pick? That’s where things could go a number of ways. They could make their selection like normal and get a solid prospect with a bright future. But considering the stock in the draft class and the lack of a standout and “ready-to-go” player, the Stars might find something else to do with their pick.
This is definitely an undeveloped and unpopular option at the moment, but things can change quickly, especially when you’re in the position that the Dallas Stars find themselves in. If all that stands between the Stars and a young, franchise-level goaltender is the Stars’ 2017 first round pick, something tells me that there is a good chance that Nill takes the deal.
Next: Hitchcock's System Will Greatly Help These Stars' Players
It’s been a while since the Dallas Stars have watched a draft lottery in hopes of getting the first overall pick, but that’s what we have this year. And once they know what pick they have, it will be even more exciting to see what they try and do with it.