NHL unveils draft lottery percentages, Kraken get 3rd-best odds
With the Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames wrapping up the regular season on Wednesday afternoon, the NHL draft lottery odds are finally set.
The odds are based on the inverse order of the regular-season standings. The expansion Seattle Kraken will get the third-best odds, just as the Vegas Golden Knights did prior to their inaugural campaign.
| Rank | Team | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Buffalo Sabres | 16.6% |
| 2 | Anaheim Ducks | 12.1% |
| 3 | Seattle Kraken | 10.3% |
| 4 | New Jersey Devils | 10.3% |
| 5 | Columbus Blue Jackets | 8.5% |
| 6 | Detroit Red Wings | 7.6% |
| 7 | San Jose Sharks | 6.7% |
| 8 | Los Angeles Kings | 5.8% |
| 9 | Vancouver Canucks | 5.4% |
| 10 | Ottawa Senators | 4.5% |
| 11 | Arizona Coyotes* | 3.1% |
| 12 | Chicago Blackhawks | 2.7% |
| 13 | Calgary Flames | 2.2% |
| 14 | Philadelphia Flyers | 1.8% |
| 15 | Dallas Stars | 1.4% |
| 16 | New York Rangers | 1% |
The Arizona Coyotes will forfeit their first-round pick for violating the NHL's combine testing policy in 2019-20. A redraw will be done if the Coyotes win the lottery.
As a reminder, the NHL approved the following lottery changes:
- The number of lottery draws is reduced from three to two, so the last-place team can't draft lower than third overall
- No team can win the draft lottery more than twice over a five-year period (starting 2022)
- Clubs can move up a maximum of 10 spots, so only 11 teams can win the No. 1 pick instead of 16 (starting 2022)
The lottery will be held on June 2. The draft is scheduled for July 23-24.
There isn't a consensus No. 1 pick in this year's draft, but Michigan defenseman Owen Power is considered by many to be the top player available.