The 2018 entry draft is rapidly approaching, and the NHL has released the lottery odds to see which team gets the right to draft Rasmus Dahlin
The competition for Rasmus Dahlin is heating up. As we move closer to the playoffs and, for the teams out of the postseason, the draft lottery and entry draft, the NHL has released the odds for getting the first overall pick at the 2018 NHL Draft. They’ve changed from past years, according to theScore.
Currently, the last team in the standings, (the Buffalo Sabres) have an 18.5 percent chance of winning the lottery. That’s actually slightly higher than last year (18 percent), but lower than the 2015-16 odds (20 percent).
The second-to-last finisher, currently a tie between the Ottawa Senators and Arizona Coyotes, will get a 13.5 percent chance of winning. Much like the worst team, the second-worst team has slightly better odds to win the lottery than last year (12.1 percent). Third place is higher now as well, at 11.5% chance, 1.2% higher than in the 2017 entry draft.
Every other place has lower odds than in the 2017 entry draft. Fourth place has fallen from 10.3% odds to 9.5%, probably because the new expansion team doesn’t need the same odds as the 28th place finisher. Every team now has rounded odds – each team is at a percent ending in .5 or .0. This matches the 2016 entry draft odds.
The 17th place finisher is not listed as having any odds of winning the lottery, unfortunate news for either the Florida Panthers or New Jersey Devils. Maybe even the Philadelphia Flyers.
These odds are just for the first overall pick. The rest of the odds are set to be released at a later date. The Sabres will have great odds at the first three picks, not just first overall. Arizona and Ottawa will have better chances at the second and third. So will teams like Montreal, Chicago, and Detroit.
Let’s take a look at the current percentages, as of March 28.
A look at the NHL’s new draft lottery odds for 2017-18, and how they compare to previous seasons. pic.twitter.com/WevbImGgUT
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) March 28, 2018
Last place (currently Buffalo): 20%
2 (currently Ottawa): 13.5%
3 (Arizona): 11.5%
4 (Vancouver Canucks): 9.5%*
5 (Detroit Red Wings): 8.5%
6 (Montreal Canadiens): 7.5%
7 (Chicago Blackhawks): 6.5%
8 (Edmonton Oilers): 6.0%
9 (New York Islanders): 5.0%
10 (New York Rangers): 3.5%
11 (Carolina Hurricanes): 3.0%
12 (Calgary Flames): 2.5%**
13 (Florida Panthers): 2.0%
14 (Dallas Stars): 1.0%
*Vegas Golden Knights will have the same chance of winning as the team finishing in 28th place.
**Flames pick belongs to the Islanders
Next: Seattle Leaks Potential Names
Whoever gets the top pick will almost indefinitely get Dahlin. The draft lottery will be held in Toronto on Saturday, April 28.
For updated 2018 NHL Draft coverage, check out our NHL Draft hub page!