While the NHL playoffs are on the brink of getting started, there are fans and teams looking forward to the offseason starting with the draft lottery that takes place on Tuesday April 9th at 8:00pmET. Here are the odds as of now for each team:
Colorado Avalanche (from OTT) 18.5%
Los Angeles Kings 13.5%
New Jersey Devils 11.5%
Detroit Red Wings 9.5%
Buffalo Sabres 8.5%
New York Rangers 7.5%
Edmonton Oilers 6.5%
Anaheim Ducks 6.0%
Vancouver Canucks 5.0%
Philadelphia Flyers 3.5%
Minnesota Wild 3.0%
Chicago Blackhawks 2.5%
Florida Panthers 2.0%
Arizona Coyotes 1.5%
Montreal Canadiens 1.0%
While Colorado, LA and New Jersey hold the best odds going into Tuesday, there seems to be a jump every year, one we might just see on Tuesday night. In 2016, Winnipeg went from sixth to second while Columbus went from fourth to third. In 2017, New Jersey went from fifth to first, Philadelphia from 13th to second and Dallas from eighth to third.
None of the top three teams ended up winning the NHL Draft Lottery. In 2018, Carolina went from 11th to second and Montreal went from fourth to third. Philadelphia holds the record for the biggest jump being 11 spots.
Once the three winners are chosen, there will be a separate draw to place the first, second and third teams in order. Many representatives will be present, including the top ranked prospect, Jack Hughes.
While Montreal only has a 1% chance of winning the lottery, it won’t be a total lose if they don’t. The 15th overall pick has had players like Alex Kovalev, Alexander Radulov, Erik Karlsson J.T. Miller, Dylan Larkin, Erik Brannstrom and Grigori Denisenko picked with that selection and it could look more good than bad this year. It is a rich year in prospects, according to scouts.
To add, while the 15th overall pick isn’t particularly attractive, it doesn’t mean the team picking is getting the 15th best player. Just like last draft and those before, there are always players who rise and who fall during the season. It could mean a prospect ranked in the teams top 10 falls to them at the 15th overall pick. Exciting times nonetheless.
The first, second and third overall picks speak for themselves as Montreal selected Jesperi Kotkaniemi last year with the third overall selection. A top three pick could have the Canadiens adding a guy like Jack Hughes, Kaapo Kakko or Bowen Byram that would not only speed up the retool, but make the team a lot more dynamic in 2019-2020.
The draft itself takes place in Vancouver, British Columbia with the first round on Friday June 21st and the second-seventh rounds on Saturday June 22nd.