Sixteen NHL franchises are still alive and well in the NHL Playoffs. Eight cities worth of fans have had their heart shattered once again in Playoff failure (RIP, Toronto). For the other 16 NHL franchises standing outside the arena and watching the Playoffs from a ladder through the window, they finally will get their chance to shine at the NHL Draft Lottery party taking place in the NHL studios in northern New Jersey.
Hockey fanatics in San Jose, Chicago, and ..um…Utah…. might finally get rewarded for watching horrible hockey by those plastic balls typically reserved for red solo cups. Meanwhile, those clubs that were fighting for playoff positioning, only to watch it slip through their hockey gloves. Those guys still hold a minuscule chance of landing a top selection in the 2024 Draft.
Odds For NHL Draft Lottery Participants
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The percentages of winning the NHL Draft Lottery are based upon the final standings from the 2023-24 NHL Regular Season. The following numbers are approximate, and likely far more detailed than presented here by ESPN:
San Jose Sharks – 18.5%, Chicago Blackhawks – 13.5%.
Anaheim Ducks – 11.5%, Columbus Blue Jackets – 9.5%,
Montreal Canadiens – 8.5%, Utah – 7.5%, Ottawa Senators – 6.5%,
Seattle Kraken – 6.0%, Calgary Flames – 5.0%, New Jersey Devils – 3.5%,
Buffalo Sabres – 3.0%, Philadelphia Flyers – 2.5%, Minnesota Wild – 2.0%,
Pittsburgh Penguins – 1.5%, Detroit Red Wings – 0.5%,
St. Louis Blues – 0.5%
As you can see from the above listing, fans in San Jose, Chicago, and Anaheim hold the most hope for the chance to draft a potential franchise-altering #1 overall pick, likely Macklin Celebrini from Boston University. Celebrini dominated the NCAA this season all but cementing his spot at the top of the draft rankings at June’s NHL Draft.
While scouts and BU fans alike are raving about the hockey skills of the presumptive 1st overall selection in Celebrini, a pair of his BU Terrier teammates are expected to hear their name called on the first night at the Sphere in Las Vegas. Forward Cole Eiserman and blueliner Cole Hutson both sit inside the top 30 on most big boards.
New Rules in 2024
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Two new rules were implemented in this year’s lotto process. The first rule impacts every team as a franchise is only able to move up a maximum of 10 slot positions, by winning the NHL lottery. If Utah wins from #6, they would pick first and the following selections of the NHL Draft would be made in the order of reverse regular season points standings.
Philadelphia, Minnesota, Pittsburgh, Detroit, and St. Louis are unable to land the top overall selection, but can still land in the top five of the selection process if they “win” the draft lottery. If Minnesota wins the draft, the San Jose Sharks would get top honors, followed by Chicago, and then Minnesota, since the most the Wild can reach is 3rd overall at best. The remaining picks in the NHL Draft would follow the reverse regular season standings.
The second-overall and third-overall selections will also be selected with the winning team(s) from pick one and pick two removed from that bouncing ball process, respectively, for each new drawing attempt. The odds shift for the 2nd overall and 3rd overall picks will adjust accordingly to the results of the previous drawings.
One particularly notable situation involves the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Pens owe a 2024 or 2025 first-round pick from the summer trade for defenseman Erik Karlsson. If the Penguins pick lands inside the top-10, Pittsburgh will have the option to retain the pick and transfer their unprotected 2025 pick instead of this year’s selection in the NHL Draft.
ESPN will carry the NHL draft lottery on 05/07/2024 at 6:30 pm before the evening’s NHL Playoff schedule.
Top Prospects for 2024 First-Year Player Draft
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Two NCAA prospect defensemen land in the top 10 of most pundits predictions. Artyom Levshunov, a 6’2 defenseman playing at Michigan State battles puck-moving blueliner Zeev Buium who just helped Denver claim their 2nd Frozen Four in the last three years.
European prospects, more specifically Russian-located players, are always a topic of discussion around the NHL. Ivan Demidov, from Russia, is the top available European forward on the draft board. Will we see another situation like Matvei Michkov sliding down to the 7th overall choice? Demidov still has one year remaining on his KHL deal with St. Petersburg.
The NHL Draft will take place in Las Vegas, Nevada on June 28 & June 29.
About The Author
Christopher Babos is a genuine sports & entertainment journalist with diverse credentials in writing, broadcasting, and digital media. With a varied professional background that includes an M.B.A. in Sports Management from Tiffin University, Chris can speak with authority on the subject matters that he covers. Additional insightful sports articles can be located here.
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