Frank Franklin II/Associated Press
Get ready hockey fans, the lottery ball machine is fired up for the 2022 NHL draft lottery this Tuesday evening and it won’t be long before the order of selection for the first 16 picks in the first round is revealed.
Just like last year, the draft lottery will only have two drawings, down from three in years prior.
The first lottery draw will determine the No. 1 pick, while the second lottery draw will affirm the No. 2 pick.
After both of the first two picks are disclosed, the remaining selections for the other 14 teams will be slotted in inverse order of regular-season points.
One new rule for the lottery involves trades: the team that wins the lottery can only move up 10 selections and only 11 teams in the lottery are eligible to land the No. 1 pick in the draft.
Leading into the two lottery drawings, the Montreal Canadiens have the best odds (18.5 percent) to win the lottery based on their last place finish in the regular season.
While the Canadiens have the best chance to have the balls bounce their way to propel their team to the front of the line to potentially add a franchise-altering player for years to come, the Arizona Coyotes have the second-best odds.
Then there’s the Seattle Kraken, who just finished their inaugural season. After finishing with a 27-49-6 record and 60 points (third-worst in the league), this will be the second straight year for them with the third-best odds at 11.5 percent.
Based on its Jack Eichel trade with the Vegan Golden Knights, the Buffalo Sabres could find themselves with two top 16 picks if and only if the Knights isn’t in the top 10.
Additionally, the Columbus Blue Jackets could have the Chicago Blackhawks’ pick as part of the Seth Jones trade if they don’t win one of the first two selections.
How To Watch
What: NHL Draft Lottery (Phase 1)
Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN, ESPN+, Sportsnet, SN NOW and TVA Sports (Canada)
Streaming: ESPN+
NHL Lottery Odds
Montreal Canadiens 18.5%
Arizona Coyotes 13.5%
Seattle Kraken 11.5%
Philadelphia Flyers 9.5%
New Jersey Devils 8.5%
Chicago Blackhawks * 7.5%
Ottawa Senators 6.5%
Detroit Red Wings 6.0%
Buffalo Sabres 5.0%
Anaheim Ducks 3.5%
San Jose Sharks 3.0%
Columbus Blue Jackets 2.5%
New York Islanders 2.0%
Winnipeg Jets 1.5%
Vancouver Canucks 0.5%
Vegas Golden Knights ** 0.5%
What’s At Stake
After hockey fans learn which teams will own the right to select from a number of top prospects, then it’s just a matter of which player to select in what order.
Based on the latest draft projections, the top prize in this year’s draft is 18-year old center Shane Wright.
The 6′, 191-pound captain for the Kingston Frontenacs has been playing in the Ontario Hockey League since the age of 15 and has established himself as a true elite prospect.
In 63 games, Wright logged 94 points (32 goals and 62 assists) and scored 28 power-play points.
“There is a completeness about Shane’s game to which he has the innate ability to rise to the level of play required to get results,” Director of NHL Central Scouting Dan Marr told Mike G. Morreale of NHL.com. “Whether it’s with his speed, his exceptionally quick hockey wits or just competing with a never give up approach.”
Juraj Slafkovsky is ranked as the second-best prospect based on his outstanding performance at the 2022 Beijing Olympics.
The 18-year old forward was named MVP of the Olympics after scoring seven goals to help Slovakia win the bronze medal.
Center Logan Cooley rounds out the top three prospects for the 2022 NHL draft.
The two-way phenom of the United States National Development Team (USNTDP) recently reached in his bag and pulled off “The Michigan” in a 13-3 win over Latvia last month.
The lacross-style goal is named after University of Michigan star Mike Legg who scored the goal back in 1996.
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Read More: NHL Draft Lottery 2022: Odds, Start Time, TV Schedule and Live Stream | Bleacher