NHL Draft Lottery 2016: Date, Odds and Latest Regular-Season Standings

As 16 NHL teams prepare for the postseason, the others will instead cross their fingers for good fortune on April 30's draft lottery.

The regular season concludes on Sunday night, but no playoff spots remain up for grabs. Although this year's draft class can't match last year's headliners, a few noteworthy names give fans reason for optimism.

With only two regular-season games remaining, let's take a look at the NHL standings and draft-lottery odds, courtesy of Tankathon. 

Eastern Conference
Western Conference
Atlantic	W	L	OTL	PTS
Florida Panthers	47	26	9	103
Tampa Bay Lightning	46	31	5	97
Detroit Red Wings	41	30	11	93
Boston Bruins	42	31	9	93
Ottawa Senators	38	35	9	85
Montreal Canadiens	38	38	6	82
Buffalo Sabres	35	36	11	81
Toronto Maple Leafs	29	42	11	69
Metropolitan	W	L	OTL	PTS
Washington Capitals	56	17	8	120
Pittsburgh Penguins	48	26	8	104
New York Rangers	46	27	9	101
New York Islanders	45	26	10	100
Philadelphia Flyers	40	27	14	94
Carolina Hurricanes	35	31	16	86
New Jersey Devils	38	36	8	84
Columbus Blue Jackets	34	40	8	76
Central	W	L	OTL	PTS
Dallas Stars	50	23	9	109
St. Louis Blues	49	24	9	107
Chicago Blackhawks	47	26	9	103
Nashville Predators	41	27	14	96
Minnesota Wild	38	33	11	87
Colorado Avalanche	39	39	4	82
Winnipeg Jets	35	39	8	78
Pacific	W	L	OTL	PTS
Los Angeles Kings	48	28	6	102
Anaheim Ducks	45	25	11	101
San Jose Sharks	46	30	6	98
Arizona Coyotes	35	38	8	78
Calgary Flames	35	40	7	77
Vancouver Canucks	31	38	13	75
Edmonton Oilers	31	43	8	70

Team	Odds to Win No. 1 Pick
Toronto Maple Leafs	20 %
Edmonton Oilers	13.5 %
Vancouver Canucks	11.5 %
Columbus Blue Jackets	9.5 %
Calgary Flames	8.5 %
Winnipeg Jets	7.5 %
Arizona Coyotes	6.5 %
Buffalo Sabres	6 %
Montreal Canadiens	5 %
Colorado Avalanche	3.5 %
New Jersey Devils	3 %
Ottawa Senators	2.5 %
Carolina Hurricanes	2 %
Boston Bruins	1 %

Top Prospects

Auston Matthews, C, Zurich

Martti Kainulainen/Associated Press

Whichever team wins the draft lottery should welcome Auston Matthews to the organization. The 18-year-old forward tallied 46 points in 36 games for Zurich in 2015-16, displaying a complete package of skating, shooting and passing skills.

Marc Crawford, the former Colorado Avalanche head coach who coached Matthews in Switzerland, believes the prospect could help an NHL franchise from the start. He set the bar high when talking to ESPN Insider's Craig Custance. 

“I really believe his talent will translate immediately,” Crawford said. “I believe he will have immediate impact, and by that I mean he will be a top-6 forward at the start.”

Rather than bide his time in college or the junior-hockey circuit, Matthews went overseas and shone on a professional stage. Given his quick transition and versatility on the ice, it's hard to challenge Crawford's claim the teenager will make an instant impact. 

He also projects as a key franchise cornerstone, someone who could rack up goals as a winger or lead the league in assists as a selfless center. While he hasn't drawn the same buzz as Connor McDavid, Matthews could deliver a similar rookie output.

It's scary to think of the Edmonton Oilers possibly rostering both, but it's certainly a possibility. 

Patrik Laine, LW, Tappara

Roni Rekomaa/Associated Press

Matthews is the consensus No. 1 choice, but Patrik Laine is at least making everyone reconsider.

The 17-year-old winger leads the Finnish Elite League with six goals in 10 postseason games. He has an accumulative 23 on the year for Tappara, who look to ride their young phenom to a title.

He won't shy away from contact, and he has refined his skating as a professional. Most importantly, his shot can burn a hole through a net.

Laine already wields incredible wrist speed, so it shouldn't take long for his stellar slap shot to make highlight reels. Once his all-around game matures, he could make a major difference offensively.

A strong playoff showing will boost his stock and get scouts talking, but he's still entrenched in a tighter race for No. 2 instead of challenging for the top spot.

Jesse Puljujarvi, RW, Karpat

Heikki Saukkomaa/Associated Press

With an enticing blend of power and speed, Jesse Puljujarvi is cementing his position as a top-three selection. 

The 17-year-old earned a regular rotation role for Karpat last season, amassing 28 points in 50 games. Even though the Finnish winger didn't post eye-popping numbers, he became a fixture while teasing immense upside as a forceful yet fluid scorer.

He's still growing into his frame, but he's a skillful enough skater to help a back line while adjusting to the NHL.

Playmakers who can put the puck in the net don't grow on trees, and his offensive ceiling is boundless. He made his intentions clear last October, per NHL.com's Mike G. Morreale: "Scoring is the best thing in hockey. Of course there are also a lot other things I try to do on the ice. But I always try to score."

Give the 6'3" prospect enough time to develop, and he could eventually morph into a prolific scorer worth a team's patience.