Normally occurring after the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, this year the NHL Draft Lottery will be held the night before they begin. Ahead of the best two-week period of the season, 15 teams are given their shot at claiming one of the top three prospects in the 2019 draft class.
One team gets to enjoy both. The Colorado Avalanche have a post-season series to play and not only a shot at first overall, but the best chance of any of the 15 teams holding lottery tickets.
How to watch
Start time: 8:00 PM EDT / 5:00 PM PDT
In Canada: Sportsnet, Sportsnet Now (English), TVA Sports (French)
In the USA: NBCSN
Elsewhere: Rogers NHL Live/NHL.tv
As has been the case for the last few years, there are actually three lotteries, with the first overall selection determined first, with separate lotteries for the second and third picks happening afterward.
Any of the participating teams has a chance to win the first overall selection, with the Avalanche, holding the Ottawa Senators’ first-round selection, having an 18.5% chance of selecting first on June 21, and the Montreal Canadiens, who finished just outside a playoff position, having the lowest at 1.0%. The chances of each team claiming the first overall pick are as follows:
2019 NHL Draft Lottery – Odds of winning #1 pick
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Colorado Avalanche* | 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% |
* acquired from the Ottawa Senators on November 5, 2017 as part of the package for Matt Duchene
The odds determine how many of 1000 possible combinations of four balls from a 14-ball lottery machine a team wil be assigned. The team that wins the first lottery will have its remaining combinations distributed proportionately among the remaining 14 teams.
The actual process of the lotteries taking place will not be televised. Instead, once the positions have been determined in a private session, the selections will be revealed in reverse order.
Related
2019 Draft profile: Jack Hughes could be the one to go first overall
2019 Draft profile: Kaapo Kakko may be the best player available
2019 Draft profile: Bowen Byram is all about offence
