To lose or not lose…The Oilers lottery pick future

The Edmonton Oilers recent play has them pulling within two games of .500. The positive play of the Oilers has developed a topic of conversation for the fans of the Oilers. With this winning streak and the subsequent upward movement in the standings, some Oiler fans in the city are getting nervous. The reason for their handwringing is that they believe the Oilers should be playing (or not playing) for a lottery pick in the 2011 NHL draft. It is believed that if the Oilers win too many games this season and place to high in the standings, they will be doing the rebuilding process a disservice. There is some merit to this thinking. Any team in the NHL would benefit from having the top pick in next years draft. Even a top five pick is better than just missing the playoffs and finishing 17th or 18th overall and drafting 12th or 13th at the draft. The Oilers could really use a blue chip centre or defenseman from the 2011 crop of players. This blogger looks at it different. The Oilers sho...