Hitting the NHL draft lottery is not like those record-breaking prizes awarded largest lotteries, but the rewards are comparable.

The future of your team suddenly looks much brighter than it was in the recent past.

You suddenly have a confident gait in your step but if you are smart, you can't rest on your winnings.

You must look to the future with numerous things to consider: Like a lottery winner, you must plan for the future or else your winnings will begin to fade without any advances being made.

A few NHL teams will be facing numerous decisions as they play out their season. There really is no need to discuss those teams by name, we all know what teams may be in line for the #1 pick and what moves they make this year prior to the trade deadline may give them a better chance of hitting the lottery.

Teams in the hunt for the #1 pick in the 2015 NHL Draft will begin moving players fairly soon, maybe as soon as November 27th which is Thanksgiving Day in the USA.

But the question that remains is what kind of sign does making a trade of one or more of the core players send to the fan base?

In my opinion, the trades have to made for the long-term health of the team. Some fans will understand that, others may be upset by a trade which may look a little bit one sided, but it will work out for the best in the long run.

Teams in line that have a shot to get the overall first pick in the draft need to be smart, show some patience and not be afraid to pull the trigger on a trade that in the long run, will be beneficial to the team and fanbase.