The Buffalo Sabres’ “magic” number is down to one. Facing fellow basement dwellers the Carolina Hurricanes tonight, the Sabres are one loss away - or an Arizona Coyotes victory away - from clinching last place in the NHL this season, effectively guaranteeing them either Connor McDavid or Jack Eichel in the upcoming draft.

With Draft Lottery rules permitting only a one-position fall, Buffalo can secure a top two pick by losing just one of their three remaining games this season (or if Arizona loses one game), a feat they’ve become proficient at over the course of this season.

Buffalo let their intentions for McDavid or Eichel known early in the year, dropping their first three and managing just one regulation win in their first 18 games of the season. And that win? A 2-1 edging over the San Jose Sharks in which the Sabres were outshot 30-15.

Buffalo finished the first quarter of the season on a modest win streak, but had still just accumulated 12 points through 20 games; a healthy head start in the race for last.

None of this was much of a surprise of course, after last year and the off-season. The Sabres finished 30th last year as well, 14 points behind the 29th place Florida Panthers, and did little in the off-season to improve their fortunes. Opting not to replace stars Ryan Miller and Thomas Vanek, which the team traded for first rounders in this upcoming draft, their biggest off-season additions were Matt Moulson and Brian Gionta. Both are solid veteran players; however neither was expected to pull the team up from the cellar of the NHL standings.

Meanwhile, after a nine game stint in Buffalo to start the season, the Sabres elected to allow top prospect Sam Reinhart to marinate in the WHL for an additional year.

The downward trend continued as the Trade Deadline neared. Notable Sabres trades this year included sending roster players Tyler Myers and Drew Stafford to the Winnipeg Jets for a package that centred around the talented but injured-for-the-season, Evander Kane.   Chris Stewart was sent to the Minnesota Wild for a second-rounder; while goalies Jhonas Enroth and Michael Neuvirth were shipped off for future third-rounders and replacements in Anders Lindback and Chad Johnson.

Other highlights lowlights of the Sabres’ 2014-15 campaign included a winless January with two of their 12 losses coming in blowout fashion (6-1 to the Rangers and 7-0 to the Wild), and a 13-loss March (although taking three of a possible four points from the Arizona Coyotes, currently 29th in the standings, surely had some fans breathing uneasy.)

All of this had added up to one of the worst seasons in recent memory, with the payoff being one of the biggest potential prizes. For Buffalo’s efforts in a season where as many as five teams could finish 10 games below .500 or worse, they are just one loss away from acquiring one of the two best prospects to enter the league in years.