Fifteen games were played on Saturday to end the 2018-19 regular season, with only the Anaheim Ducks not in action. The final rankings for the 2019 NHL Draft Lottery were solidified with the results.
Final draft lottery odds
| Pos | Team | Record | Last night’s result | Points | First overall odds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ottawa Senators (to COL) | 29-47-6 | L | 64 | 18.5% |
| 2 | Los Angeles Kings | 31-42-9 | W | 71 | 13.5% |
| 3 | New Jersey Devils | 31-41-10 | W | 72 | 11.5% |
| 4 | Detroit Red Wings | 32-40-10 | L | 74 | 9.5% |
| 5 | Buffalo Sabres | 33-39-10 | W | 76 | 8.5% |
| 6 | New York Rangers | 32-36-14 | W | 78 | 7.5% |
| 7 | Edmonton Oilers | 35-38-9 | W | 79 | 6.5% |
| 8 | Anaheim Ducks | 35-37-10 | – | 80 | 6.0% |
| 9 | Vancouver Canucks | 35-36-11 | OTL | 81 | 5.0% |
| 10 | Philadelphia Flyers | 37-37-8 | L | 82 | 3.5% |
| 11 | Minnesota Wild | 37-36-9 | L | 83 | 3.0% |
| 12 | Chicago Blackhawks | 36-34-12 | L | 84 | 2.5% |
| 13 | Florida Panthers | 36-32-14 | OTL | 86 | 2.0% |
| 14 | Arizona Coyotes | 39-35-8 | L | 86 | 1.5% |
| 15 | Montreal Canadiens | 44-30-8 | W | 96 | 1.0% |
It has been known for a few days that the Ottawa Senators would stand firm on the bottom rung of the ladder. However, the team no longer has its first-round pick to take full advantage of that position. Instead, the Colorado Avalanche will enjoy the benefits of that league-worst performance, having acquired Ottawa’s pick early in the 2017-18 season. Colorado is the only organization to participate in the draft lottery and treat fans to post-season hocket this spring as well.
At the opposite end are the Montreal Canadiens. The team would have been slated to draft 18th in each round based on the 2018-19 standings (ranking 14th overall), but get one of the lottery spots for missing the playoffs and will select no lower than 15th. Being the best team in the event, the Habs only get a 1.0% chance at winning the top pick, but it’s a bit of a consolation for a great season that came up just short of a post-season berth.
The team that is announced as the winner will have a shot at the top prospect available, which right now is down to Jack Hughes and Kaapo Kakko. You can expect full reports on those two players — and many others — in the near future.
