As the second round of the NHL playoffs get underway on Monday night, there is another important event that will take place prior to it. For the first time in NHL history, the Draft Lottery will be drawn live in studio.
This means that teams won't know ahead of time what the outcome will be. Fans will be learning the news at the same time as every else. With leaks coming almost every time the league has some kind of draft, this seems like the best way to stop that from happening. No one can report on something first if we all know it at the same time.
Before we get into the nitty gritty, here are the basics that everyone needs to know:
When: Monday, May 5
Time: 7:00 EST
How to Watch: ESPN (U.S. viewers) or Sportsnet (Canadian viewers)
A team cannot move up more than 10 spots in the lottery. That means only the top 11 teams are eligible to win. If a team in the 12-16 spot wins the first drawing, they move up the 10 allotted spots, while the first overall pick will be given to the team with the best odds. In this case, it is the San Jose Sharks.
The lottery will be drawn in two phases: the first pick and the second. Once the first pick has been drawn, only the top 12 teams remaining are eligible for the second pick. If you're interested in the 1,000 combinations that can be drawn and which team has what, you can find that here. There is an extra combination that would demand a redraw if needed.
Out of the 1,000 possible combinations, the Flyers have 95 different four-digit selections. The Sharks have the most at 185.
A reminder of the Flyers draft lottery odds:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
PHI | 9.5 | 9.5 | 0.3 | 15.4 | 44.6 |
Despite currently holding the fourth selection, the Flyers are more likely to drop back to fifth in the draft. They have only selected first overall in their franchise history. That was in 1975 when they drafted Mel Bridgeman. They traded Bill Clement, Don McLean, and their first-round pick (18th overall) to the Washington Capitals.
A very specific scenario needs to happen for the Flyers to pick third. Since a team can only move up 10 spots, this would mean the Red Wings would win the first drawing. They would move up to the second spot, and the Sharks would automatically earn the first pick. If the Flyers win the second drawing, they would take the third pick.
The prize of this draft lottery is the chance to draft either Matthew Schaefer or Michael Misa. Schaefer is expected to be the top pick in the draft, but Misa would be an excellent consolation prize for the team picking second. The Flyers would certainly love a chance at either one. They should have strong odds to come away with a player who could make an instant impact, regardless.