The Vancouver Canucks ended up with the 10th pick overall in the NHL Draft Lottery on Tuesday.
In a message posted on Twitter, the team that finished the season in 23rd place overall, sarcastically posted, "Thanks Hockey Gods."
The organization has never had the number one pick in its franchise history.
In the end, the New Jersey Devils got the top pick Canucks fans hoped for, moving up two spots while Vancouver moved down one. The New York Rangers will pick second, followed by the Chicago Blackhawks with the biggest gain, moving from 12th position to third.
The Colorado Avalanche had the best odds of landing the first pick (18.5 per cent, after acquiring its selection from the Ottawa Sentators in 2017) but ended up drawing fourth.
The 15 teams that didn't qualify for the playoffs this year, or acquired first-round picks from other non-playoff teams, participated in the lottery.
Of the Canadian teams in the lottery, Edmonton fared best. The Oilers drew the eighth pick in the June 21-22 draft held at Vancouver's Rogers Arena.
The Habs in Montreal will pick 15th.
The first overall pick will likely be forward Jack Hughes, younger brother of Canucks' rookie Quinn Hughes.
The elder Hughes made his NHL debut less than two weeks ago, earning a highlight-reel-worthy assist in a 3-2 shootout victory over the L.A. Kings. The 19-year-old was picked seventh in the 2018 draft, and signed a three-year entry-level deal with the Canucks In March.
With files from CTV News Vancouver's Christina Heydanus and The Canadian Press
