Wayne Gretzky, in an interview with the Edmonton Journal, said the touted 18-year-old Connor McDavid is "clearly a franchise player."

"He's as good as I've seen in the last 30 years, the best player to come into the league in the last 30 years, the best to come along since [Mario] Lemieux and [Sidney] Crosby," Gretzky told the newspaper. "He can definitely change a franchise's fortunes."

McDavid is expected to be the No. 1 draft pick in June. 

The Oilers won the NHL draft lottery and the right to select Connor McDavid with the top pick.

The Oilers bucked the odds Saturday night after finishing 28th in the NHL standings. They had an 11.5 percent chance to win the lottery.

The franchise is in position to draft the Erie Otters center described as a once-in-a-generation talent.

"I can't tell you how exciting it is for us to win this lottery," Oilers GM Craig MacTavish said during a telephone conference call. "Any team would be just over the moon about winning the lottery. We're the same. It's a game-changer."

Cam Atkinson scored midway through the third period to lead the Blue Jackets to a 4-2 victory over Buffalo on Friday night, assuring the Sabres the best chance at the No. 1 pick in the NHL draft.

The regulation loss locked up the worst overall record in the league for the Sabres and the best odds of selecting Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel.