What’s at Stake in the NHL: How Sharks could clinch No. 1 in draft lottery Wednesday

Welcome to the April leg of the 2023-24 NHL regular season. At this point in the calendar, the stakes are elevated. We’re starting to see teams clinch playoff spots. Players are hitting milestones. There’s seemingly something on the line every night.

So what’s at stake during the three-game slate of action on Wednesday, April 10?

– If the St. Louis Blues (41-32-5) lose to the Chicago Blackhawks in regulation and the Vegas Golden Knights beat the Edmonton Oilers, the Blues will be mathematically eliminated from the postseason.

– If the Blackhawks (23-49-5) win, they will move eight points ahead of the San Jose Sharks (18-51-9), and because Chicago has the ROW tiebreaker, San Jose will clinch 32^nd overall and the top 2024 NHL Draft Lottery odds at 25.5 percent.

– The Golden Knights (42-27-8) will clinch a playoff spot if they beat the Oilers and the Blues earn one point or fewer against the Blackhawks Wednesday night.

– The Los Angeles Kings (41-26-11) whiffed on their attempt to clinch a playoff spot Tuesday night but can do so if the Blues lose in regulation Wednesday.

– The Oilers’ Connor McDavid sits at 99 assists, but his quest to become the NHL’s fourth-ever 100-assist player appears to be on hold. He’s dealing with a lower-body injury and not expected to play Wednesday.

– With two points Wednesday, Canucks blueliner Quinn Hughes would become the third defenseman in the past 30 years to collect 90 points in a season, joining Roman Josi (96 in 2021-22) and Erik Karlsson (101 in 2022-23).