2016 NHL Draft Lottery Preview

         Today is the day many hockey fans have been waiting for! It’s draft lottery day! Today, the draft order for the 14 non-playoff NHL teams will be determined. The Toronto Maple Leafs have the best odds of getting 1^st overall at 20%. Many expect American born prospect Auston Matthews to be chosen first. Other notable prospects include Patrik Laine, Jesse Puljujarvi, and Matthew Tkachuk.

        

         This draft lottery is unique because it’s the first time in NHL history that all 7 Canadian teams have been in it. It may also prove to be a very important draft lottery, as a first overall draft pick can change the fortune of a struggling team. This has happened with such players as Alex Ovechkin in 2004 and Sidney Crosby in 2005. I ran the draft lottery simulation and this is what I got:

1. Buffalo (likely Auston Matthews)

2. Toronto

3. Winnipeg

4. Edmonton

5. Vancouver

6. Columbus

7. Calgary

8. Arizona

9. Montreal

10. Colorado

11. New Jersey

12. Ottawa

13. Carolina

14. Boston

         For those of you (including me) who still don’t know how exactly the draft lottery works, I’ve got this for you. Have a happy draft lottery day!