from Mike Chambers of the Denver Post,
The goal for the Avalanche is to beat Detroit on Tuesday and inch closer to a Western Conference playoff berth. Losing to the Wings, though, would help the Avs’ chances of drafting top-prospect Jack Hughes with the first pick of the 2019 draft.
Downtrodden Detroit (23-33-9, 55 points) is just four points behind Ottawa (28-38-5, 51 points) with the NHL’s worst record. Since Colorado has the Senators’ first-round pick (plus their third-rounder), the Avs want the Sens to finish with the league’s fewest points and thus have the best percentage to win the draft lottery in April.