Gavin McKenna lottery picture starting to form

With only a handful of weeks left in the regular season, three teams are separating themselves near the bottom of the standings. Vancouver, Calgary and Chicago are increasingly positioned to control the best odds for the first overall pick.

That matters because the prize in the upcoming draft is widely viewed as special.

McKenna has dominated junior hockey and many scouts already view him as the next franchise level talent entering the NHL.

Right now Vancouver sits in the strongest position in the lottery race.

The Canucks have only 48 points in 66 games, which places them last in the league standings. That position carries the highest lottery odds, including a 25.5 percent chance of winning the first overall pick and a 60.5 percent chance of selecting inside the top three.

Climbing out of that spot would require a massive late season run.

Behind the Canucks, the race becomes more interesting.

Calgary sits with 59 points while Chicago has 61. That leaves the Flames and Blackhawks battling for the 31st and 30th positions in the overall standings.

The remaining schedules suggest Calgary may have the harder path.

The Flames still face several top teams including Colorado, Dallas, Tampa Bay and Florida, all clubs sitting near the top of the standings and still pushing for playoff positioning.

Chicago also has difficult games remaining against Carolina and Buffalo, but the overall schedule appears slightly lighter than Calgary's.

If those trends hold, Calgary could remain in the 31st position while Chicago finishes 30th.

From a lottery perspective, both spots still carry strong odds.

Finishing 31st gives a 13.5 percent chance of winning the first overall pick, while finishing 30th carries an 11.5 percent chance.

For NHL fans watching the standings, the storyline is becoming clearer.

Vancouver appears locked into the best lottery odds, Calgary may hold the second best position, and Chicago could finish third.

And if the lottery balls bounce a certain way, the race to draft Gavin McKenna could quickly become the biggest story of the next NHL offseason.

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