The NHL Draft Lottery is just days away…

MONTREAL - All eyes will be on the NHL Draft Lottery on Saturday night.

As a result of the team's 28th place finish in the standings during the regular season, the Canadiens currently have the fourth-best odds - 9.5% - of winning the lottery and selecting first overall on June 22 in Dallas.
Buffalo (18.5%), Ottawa (13.5%), and Arizona (11.5%) are the three teams that boast stronger odds at securing the top pick when the balls fall where they may on April 28.
The last time the Canadiens stepped to the podium with the first-overall selection was in 1980, when they nabbed centerman Doug Wickenheiser from the WHL's Regina Pats.
The Habs also enter Saturday night's festivities with a 9.6% chance of selecting second, a 9.7% chance of picking third, and just a slim 2.8% chance of standing pat in the No. 4 spot, giving general manager Marc Bergevin a 28.8% chance at leaving the Draft Lottery with a Top 3 pick in tow.
The last time the Canadiens selected inside the Top 3 was back in 2012, when Bergevin made Alex Galchenyuk his first-ever pick after being named Habs GM that May, plucking the American sniper from the crowd at No. 3 overall.

Since that day in Pittsburgh, Galchenyuk has suited up for 418 NHL games, more than any other player from his draft class. He also sits tied with Nashville Predators forward Filip Forsberg for top spot from that year's prospect pool with 255 points on his resume, and he leads the way with 147 assists. His 108 goals, meanwhile, rank second among 2012 selections.
It's important to note that the lowest the Canadiens can fall in the draft order on Saturday night is seventh, three spots down from their original starting point.
NHL Central Scouting has released its final ranking of North American and International skaters for the upcoming draft.
Here's a look at the Top 5 players in both categories, one of whom might just end up joining the Canadiens' fold in two months' time at the American Airlines Center.
North American Skaters
Andrei Svechnikov - RW - Barrie (OHL)
The top-ranked prospect among North American skaters, 18-year-old Svechnikov recently claimed the Emms Family Award as the OHL's Rookie of the Year after putting up 40 goals and 72 points in just 44 regular-season games for the Barrie Colts. He scored nine of his goals on the power play, along with posting a plus-26 differential. Come playoff time, Svechnikov added five goals and 11 points in eight games. He also represented Russia at the World Juniors this past winter in Buffalo.

Brady Tkachuk - LW - Boston University (Hockey East)
The son of veteran NHLer Keith Tkachuk and the younger brother of Calgary Flames forward Matthew Tkachuk, Brady Tkachuk put up eight goals and 31 points in 40 games during his freshman season for Boston University this year. The 18-year-old St. Louis, MO native was a standout at the World Juniors this past winter, scoring three goals and collecting nine points in seven games, en route to helping Team USA win bronze in Buffalo.

Filip Zadina - RW - Halifax (QMJHL)
Filip Zadina enjoyed a remarkable rookie season in the QMJHL ranks, scoring a team-leading 44 goals and registering 82 points in 57 regular-season games for the Halifax Mooseheads. The 18-year-old right-winger, who hails from Pardubice in the Czech Republic, then added five goals and 12 points in nine postseason outings. He also scored seven goals in seven games at the 2018 World Juniors.

Evan Bouchard - D - London (OHL)
Evan Bouchard made his third OHL campaign with the London Knights one to remember by upping his production from 44 points (11g - 33a) in 2016-17 to a team-leading 87 points (25g - 62a) this past season. And, the 18-year-old Oakville, ON native is a defenseman. The Knights' captain is a finalist for the Max Kaminsky Trophy, which is presented to the OHL's Defenseman of the Year. He is also the Knights' representative for the Red Tilson Trophy, which is presented to the OHL's Most Outstanding Player of the Year.

Noah Dobson - D - Acadie-Bathurst (QMJHL)
Eighteen-year-old Noah Dobson registered 17 goals and 69 points in 67 regular-season games for the Acadie-Bathurst Titan during the 2017-18 campaign. That represented a 43-point uptick in production for the 18-year-old Summerside, PEI native, who wrapped up his second year patrolling the Titan blue line.

International Skaters
Rasmus Dahlin - D - Frolunda (Sweden)
A generational talent, according to scouts worldwide, 18-year-old Rasmus Dahlin should be the top pick in the Lone Star State. The Swedish defenseman scored seven goals and collected 20 points in 41 regular-season games with Frolunda this year. He was named the top rearguard at the 2018 World Juniors, chipping in with six assists in seven games to help the Swedes claim silver in Buffalo. He also represented his country at the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang in February.

Adam Boqvist - D - Brynas Jr. (Sweden)
Seventeen-year-old Adam Boqvist was a standout on the back end with Brynas IF in Sweden's J20 SuperElit, putting up 14 goals and 24 points in 25 games. He also played 15 games with the big club in the Swedish Hockey League.

Vitali Kravtsov - RW - Chelyabinsk (Russia)
Eighteen-year-old Vitali Kravtsov's first full KHL campaign with Chelyabinsk saw him chip in with four goals and seven points in 35 regular-season games, before registering six goals and 11 points in 16 playoff games and setting new league postseason marks in the process.

Martin Kaut - RW - Pardubice (Czech Republic)
Martin Kaut registered nine goals and 16 points in 38 regular-season games for HC Dynamo Pardubice in the Czech ExtraLiga, before adding three more goals and five points in seven playoff outings. The 18-year-old right-winger represented his country at the World Juniors in Buffalo, collecting two goals and seven points in as many games.

Adam Ginning - D - Linkoping (Sweden)
In addition to playing 17 regular-season games for his hometown Linkoping in Sweden's J20 SuperElit this past season, and collecting one goal and six points along the way, Adam Ginning also suited up for 28 games with Linkoping's senior side in the Swedish Hockey League. He then played seven playoff games with the big club.

The last time the Canadiens took part in the NHL Draft Lottery was in 2016 when they held the No. 9 spot - and remained there once the balls were drawn - before going on to select defenseman Mikhail Sergachev.
Back in 2007, the Canadiens also remained at their original draft position following the lottery and selected defenseman Ryan McDonagh 12th overall.
And in 2005, the Habs had the good fortune of claiming the fifth-overall pick in the lottery and went on to select goaltender Carey Price, whose accomplishments over the years speak for themselves.