It all comes down to the lottery now

With Toronto losing to the New York Rangers last night by a 5-1 score, the Boston Bruins are guaranteed a top-three pick in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.

Now the question that needs to be answered is whether it will be No. 1, 2 or 3.

The NHL will hold the lottery next Tuesday (the 13th- definitely not one of Lene Lovich's lucky numbers) at 8:00 pm, and the Bruins, who thanks to Toronto are sitting at the No. 2 spot, have an 18 percent chance to move up one to the top selection, a 60 percent chance to pick 1 or 2, and then that pesky 40 percent that could see one of No. 3-5 teams beat the odds to push Edmonton to No. 2 and Boston to No. 3.

It won't be long now until the question gets answered.

And, with Dennis Seidenberg out eight weeks after surgery to repair the damaged tendon in his wrist, it looks like his Boston career may have last just 17 solid games. If they don't re-sign him, that 33rd overall pick to Florida will look less and less like a deal. And yes, I've read some puff pieces on Matt Bartkowski, the other piece of that trade with the Panthers. Maybe he works out, maybe he doesn't-- I'll reserve judgment until I see him at development camp.