NHL Draft Lottery odds, date set
Mark your calendars.
For teams not participating in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, June 2 will be the next key date on the agenda when the National Hockey League hosts the 2021 NHL Draft Lottery.
The Lottery will determine the order of selection for the initial 16 picks in the 2021 draft, including the newly minted Seattle Kraken franchise.
The 2021 lottery will be the first under new rules.
It has moved from three drawings to two. The first draw will determine which team will hold the rights to the No. 1 selection in the 2021 draft. The second will reveal the rights-holder to the No. 2 pick. In previous years, the NHL has drawn for the rights to the first three picks in the draft.
Unlike previous years, lottery winners can move up a maximum of 10 spots in the draft. If any of the teams from 11-16 win the lottery — with the exception of the Arizona Coyotes — they will advance their draft position by 10 spots.
Odds for each participating team are determined by the inverse regular season standings.
The Buffalo Sabres finished last in the NHL with 37 points by way of a 15-34-7 record (.330 winning percentage) and will have the highest draft lottery odds at 16.6 percent. The Anaheim Ducks, with 43 points, finished second-last and will have a 12.1 percent change of winning the lottery.
The expansion Kraken will be given the third-best odds at 12.1 percent.
Arizona will remain in the lottery despite forfeiting their first-round pick in 2021. The Coyotes were forced to do so as part of sanctions for violating the NHL’s Combine Testing process. Should Arizona win, the lottery will be redrawn.
The draft will be held on July 23 and 24.
The 2021 NHL Draft Lottery odds are:
1. Buffalo Sabres, 16.6 percent
2. Anaheim Ducks, 12.1 percent
3. Seattle Kraken, 10.3 percent
4. New Jersey Devils, 10.3 percent
5. Columbus Blue Jackets, 8.5 percent
6. Detroit Red Wings, 7.6 percent
7. San Jose Sharks, 6.7 percent
8. Los Angeles Kings, 5.8 percent
9. Vancouver Canucks, 5.4 percent
10. Ottawa Senators, 4.5 percent
11. Arizona Coyotes, 3.1 percent
12. Chicago Blackhawks, 2.7 percent
13. Calgary Flames, 2.2 percent
14. Philadelphia Flyers, 1.8 percent
15. Dallas Stars, 1.4 percent
16. New York Rangers, 1.0 percent