August 10, 2020. That’s the day one franchise will earn the right to pick first in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, a selection that will almost surely be used to pick superstar prospect Alexis Lafreniere. The league will hold Phase 2 of their draft lottery on Monday at 5pm CT, giving each of the eight teams that are eliminated in the qualification round a 12.5% chance at the first-overall pick. The seven teams that are not awarded the top pick will receive draft positions between 9-15 based on inverse order of their regular season points percentage.
The first 15 selections currently work out like this:
1. TBD*
2. Los Angeles Kings
3. Ottawa Senators (from SJS)
4. Detroit Red Wings
5. Ottawa Senators
6. Anaheim Ducks
7. New Jersey Devils
8. Buffalo Sabres
9. TBD*
10. TBD*
11. TBD*
12. TBD*
13. TBD*
14. TBD*
15. TBD*
Lafreniere of course is seen as the ultimate consolation prize for those who drop out of this best-of-five qualification round. Teams like the Pittsburgh Penguins and Edmonton Oilers are both in danger of losing to 12 seeds, but could each end up with another first-overall pick to slide in alongside Sidney Crosby or Connor McDavid.
Let’s go Rangers!
@acarneglia – I’m glad you said it first – I’d look like a homer! :)
I’m a bruins fan but want rangers to get him, since our impending first round exit still won’t leave us eligible for him LOL
@Connorsoxfan – So, are you saying “If we can’t get him, anybody but the Habs!” ;)
And not the Pens. Could live with anyone else. I’m probably supposed to hate the Blackhawks but would I mind if they made one more cup run with a Kane Toews lafreiniere line, no that sounds awesome actually
Ya know it’s weird I was talking about this with someone the other day, hate the Canadiens a lot less now. The franchise sure but I don’t get fired up to want to steamroll Drouin and Petry and Tatar etc. Just don’t care. It’s kind of weird. I liked Shea Weber in Nashville, all those slap shot competitions with chara were fun, I liked kotkaniemi going into the draft, Nick Suzuki I’ve always liked. It’s weird now with pacioretty and Subban and most of those guys gone. They were hate-able. Price is hateable. Gallagher sure. But other than that, it’s not that I like them but just don’t care. Rivalry has taken a weird development lol
@Connorsoxfan – I can never get enough of Weber’s howitzer sawing through opposition sticks and sometimes making contact with his own guys (speaking to Gallagher’s exposed hand here!). The evil smirk is priceless. Georges Laraque is strangely down on Kotkaniemi, but at least he can pronounce his name! :) Sounds like because of the competitive imbalance between the B’s and the Habs changes your takes, which I totally understand. The heated/hated rivalry has been on a back-burner because of that. It might turn around in the future, but sure not now. And, as for that ‘Hawks dream line idea, just WOW! That would be impressive, for sure.
From your lips to God’s ears
@MZ311 – You know he might have the old ethereal headphones on when I’m spouting off! How’s that for a mental picture? :)
They already won their lottery last year, although there are way worse candidates to win it *cough* Penguins *cough* Leafs *cough* Oilers.
@JD – For the record, I still maintain OTT should have gotten the number one pick, but any of the three mentioned by you may very well cause a five-alarm stinkfest! ;) It *may* happen, no thanks to Bettman’s screwed-up draft lottery. Their respective fan bases will go WOO-HOO!, and everyone else will break out their pitchforks & torches!
My pitchfork is already in hand. It’s for sure going to be a worst case scenario for them.
Leafs traded their pick to Carolina.
Still rooting for the Habs to get Lafreniere.
But, if not, rest assured that Gary Bettman, who probably never once set foot in Pittsburgh until he became the NHL commissioner, will rig the draft for us because…some reason.