Who emerged from the 2020 NHL Draft Lottery as the biggest winners and losers?
The 2020 NHL Draft Lottery went about as chaotically as one could have expected. There was an ever so slight chance that a team who made the postseason could also get the first overall pick. And guess what happened? That’s right, a team who loses in the play-in round will have the first overall pick!
It was a chaotic night, to say the least. That’s why I think it’s perfect for the NHL. The NHL has always thrived on chaos while not really caring too much for silly things like fairness and tradition. So who emerged from the rubble as the biggest winners and losers?
Winner: Los Angeles Kings
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The Los Angeles Kings entered the evening with the fourth-best chances of getting the first overall pick. While they didn’t get the first overall pick, the second overall pick is one heck of a consolation prize.
This will allow the Kings to add to their already elite prospect pool. Once they add whoever they draft with the second overall pick (most likely Quinton Byfield), they’ll probably have the best prospect pool in the NHL.
Loser: Detroit Red Wings
The NHL Draft lottery hasn’t rewarded the worst team in the NHL in recent years. Since the league changed things in 2015 to make it harder for the worst teams to win the draft lottery, the worst team in the league has only won twice (Toronto Maple Leafs in 2016 and Buffalo Sabres in 2018).
Steve Yzerman even said he wasn’t surprised a placeholder team won since those teams combined had a better chance of getting the first overall pick than the Red Wings did. But you know Yzerman had to be pissed. The Red Wings weren’t just the worst team in the league. They were the worst team of the salary cap era.
The Red Wings could have really used Alexis Lafrenière to bolster their rebuild. Instead, they’re stuck with the fourth overall pick.
Winner: Ottawa Senators
Yes, the Ottawa Senators didn’t get the first overall pick despite having the second-best chances of winning with their own pick and the third-best chances of getting it with the San Jose Sharks’ first-round pick. However, they did end the evening with two top-five picks in a very deep draft.
The Senators are quickly building an impressive prospect pool. Having two top-five picks in one of the deepest drafts in recent memory is going to make it much stronger and will help them build a strong foundation for a team that can hopefully develop into Stanley Cup contenders.
Loser: The Rest Of The Non-Playoff Teams
Imagine how every single one of the teams who didn’t make the Stanley Cup Playoffs must feel. They were so bad, they couldn’t even make the postseason despite it being expanded to 24 teams. It would have been fine to watch another non-playoff team get the first overall pick. At least then it would be going to a team that really needs it.
Instead, they left the evening in agony, knowing the first overall pick will go to a team that loses in the play-in round. You have to imagine the general managers of those teams are mighty pissed. And remember, the lottery hasn’t rewarded the worst team in the league since 2015. This could lead to some changes to the draft lottery.
Winner: Alexis Lafrenière
Alexis Lafrenière has to be feeling pretty darn happy after the events that occurred on Friday night. He entered the night likely reserved to being on one of the worst teams in the league. Instead, Lafrenière’s going to be the first top overall pick to join a team that already made the playoffs the previous season since 1983.
Usually, you sort of feel bad for the first overall pick because they’ve got to live with the pressure of saving a team that is usually really bad. But now Lafrenière will find himself on a team that was at least good enough to make the playoffs.
Winner: A Random Team Who Loses In The Play-In Round
The lottery is designed to help the worst teams. But this draft lottery was different. Instead of just including the seven teams who didn’t make the Stanley Cup Playoffs, this lottery included teams who made the play-in round.
Just about every team that made the play-in round was at least within striking distance of the playoffs. One of the teams who loses in the play-in round will now get to add one of the best junior players in recent memory. Lafrenière is the two-time reigning CHL Player Of The Year. He’s no Connor McDavid or Auston Matthews, but he’s still going to be able to make an immediate impact.
(Maybe) Winner: Conspiracy Theories
Good heavens, could you imagine the chaos if the Montreal Canadiens lose in the play-in round and win the lottery? Fans would be beyond livid. Red Wings fans would get to experience a heartache even the Detroit Lions haven’t been able to deliver. Ottawa Senators fans will curse the lottery. Fans around the league will be convinced the league rigged the lottery.
Or better yet, imagine if it’s the Toronto Maple Leafs! Wow, if everybody other than Maple Leafs didn’t already hate the Maple Leafs, you can bet they will if the Leafs lose to the Columbus Blue Jackets in the play-in round and get the first overall pick. Seriously, the Leafs will get the kind of boos that even Iraq-sympathizer Sgt. Slaughter didn’t get.
As a Washington Capitals fan, I don’t want anything good to happen to the Pittsburgh Penguins. They are the bane of my existence. That said, if the Penguins lose to the Canadiens in the first round and get the first overall pick, I wouldn’t even be mad. I’d just laugh, make myself a bowl of popcorn, sit back, and enjoy all the conspiracy theory talk on Twitter. Yes, it would be painful to watch the Penguins with Lafrenière, but honestly, the chaos would be worth it.
Imagine the hilarity that will ensue if the Arizona Coyotes, who have Taylor Hall, win the draft lottery. His teams have been really good at winning the lottery for some reason. It’s probably just random chance. But if the Coyotes win, would the Red Wings or Buffalo Sabres consider signing him just to make their chances better in the future?
The 2020 draft lottery leaves everybody with more questions than answers. But folks, the NHL are experts at doing this. This is absolutely the perfect thing to happen for hockey. The NHL set things up for a circus and now they’re getting what they want – a circus.