NHL: Unknown team wins draft lottery, Detroit loses

The NHL Draft Lottery is over – and we don’t know who will receive the main prize

The most special NHL draft lottery to date has taken place on the night of today. But the most important question has not yet been answered.

The strangest of all scenarios has arrived. A team has won the NHL draft lottery and does not even know it itself. This is due to this year’s playoff mode with 24 instead of the usual 16 teams.

If the season continues, there will be a pre-playoff round before the actual playoffs start. 16 teams compete in eight best-of-five series for entry into the conference quarter-finals (where eight teams are waiting). Since we don’t know which team will finish how, we have used placeholders for the eight losers of these pre-playoffs in the draft lottery. And one of these placeholders has actually landed in first place despite the deep chances.

Specifically, this means that one of the following teams will draft first:

• Pittsburgh Penguins, Carolina Hurricanes, New York Islanders, Columbus Blue Jackets, Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers, New York Rangers, Montreal Canadiens, Edmonton Oilers, Nashville Predators, Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, Winnipeg Jets, Minnesota Wild, Arizona Coyotes, Chicago Blackhawks.

So there will be another draft lottery once the pre-playoffs have ended. There, all eight losing teams have a 12.5 percent chance of getting the number 1 pick.

The teams in the pre-playoffs are, to a certain extent, already among the draft lottery winners. But who are the losers? Certainly the Detroit Red Wings. Although they had an 18.5 percent chance of the number 1 pick, they are now only fourth. Also Ottawa with two picks and good chances of the first pick, was rather unlucky.

Draft order in the first round:

1. Pre-playoff losers (originally had a 2.5% chance of number 1 pick)
2. Los Angeles Kings (9,5%)
3. Ottawa Senators (11,5%)
4. Detroit Red Wings (18,5%)
5. Ottawa Senators (13,5%)
6. Anaheim Ducks (8,5%)
7. New Jersey Devils (7,5%)
8. Buffalo Sabres (6,5%)

Now that we know – at least to some extent – which team is drafting at which point, we can finally devote ourselves to the prospects of this draft year. Usually the draft rankings are already set in stone by this time. However, since the big junior drawing will probably only take place in autumn this year and by then some European leagues may already be running again, there could be changes later.

We therefore only present the likely top 7 of the draft, explain their strengths and weaknesses and tell you which teams are suitable for selecting the talents.

Alexis Lafrenière ????????

Left wing, Rimouski Océanic (QMJHL), 52 games, 35 goals, 77 assists

Strengthen:

It doesn’t happen often that the number 1 draft is a grand piano. Rather, they are centers or defenders. But there is no doubt: Whenever the NHL draft takes place, Alexis Lafrenière will be drawn first.

The Quebecois already brings the whole package with it: an outstanding shot, butter-soft hands and incredible creativity. Corey Pronman, draft guru of “The Athletic”, writes about the Canadian: “I can remember games in which Lafrenière actually worked next to the shoes and still scored several points.”

In addition to the shot, Lafrenière also has an excellent overview that allows him to play strong passes. And he is not afraid of body play either. With a height of 186 centimeters and a fighting weight of almost 90 kilograms, it also goes where it hurts.

Weaknesses:

The easiest thing to complain about is skating at the age of 18. It’s not particularly explosive, but it’s still fast enough when it needs to be. Scouts believe he will be an average NHL skater in terms of speed.

Possible teams:

Pittsburgh, Carolina, Islanders, Columbus, Toronto, Florida, Rangers, Montreal, Edmonton, Nashville, Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg, Minnesota, Arizona, Chicago.

Quinton Byfield ????????

Center, Sudbury Wolfes (OHL), 45 games, 32 goals, 50 assists

Strengthen:

What immediately catches your eye at Byfield is its beefy shape. The 17-year-old Canadian is one of the younger players in the draft, but is already 194 centimeters tall and weighs almost 100 kilos. He uses his physique to win gang matches. Byfield is described as extremely ambitious, who does everything to get to the end.

Despite its size, the center is also a very good skater. He can drive the game of his line. His shot is a dangerous weapon and his technique is also very strong for a player of his size.

Weaknesses:

Scouts criticize the Byfield overview and also somewhat the defensive game. However, the experts are not in agreement. Some see the game overview as a problem, others may not find it outstanding, but by far good enough for the NHL.

Possible teams:

Los Angeles, Ottawa, Detroit

Tim Stützle ????????

Left wing / center, Adler Mannheim (DEL), 41 games, 7 goals, 27 assists

Strengthen:

Hardly any player has made such an ascent in the draft rankings. Before the season, Stützle was more in the back of the first lap, now he is a top candidate. The German is incredibly agile and has played at Adler Mannheim against adults all season. He manages to avoid checks with fast corners and shake off the opponents.

The 18-year-old is extremely creative and has an excellent game overview. Stützle makes the right decisions even at high speeds. He is more of a player looking for the pass and not his own shot.

Weaknesses:

The physique is certainly not a support strength. The German is not extremely small (184 cm, 85 kg), but he prefers to avoid body play. He prefers to win duels with his overview and his cleverness (similar to Pius Suter).

Possible teams:

Los Angeles, Ottawa, Detroit, Anaheim, New Jersey

Lucas Raymond ????????

Wing, Frölunda Indians (SHL), 33 games, 4 goals, 6 assists

Strengthen:

Raymond is incredibly strong on the puck. The Swede has a brilliant technique and thus he makes defenders look ancient in a 1v1 duel. He has an excellent overview and is therefore able to make surprising moves. This is another reason why it becomes a great weapon, especially in power play. If necessary, he can also unpack a dangerous shot himself.

Weaknesses:

Raymond has grown rather small (177 cm / 75 kg). Usually, players compensate for their smaller size with speed and maneuverability. The Swede is a rather average skater. He did not get good numbers this season, but at Frölunda he hardly got more than 10 minutes of ice age per game. It is quite possible that it will take a little longer than other draft candidates before he can fully develop his game at NHL level.

Possible teams:

Ottawa, Detroit, Anaheim, New Jersey

Jamie Drysdale ????????

Defender, Erie Otters (OHL), 49 games, 9 goals, 38 assists.

Strengthen:

The first defender in the draft is also one of the best skaters of the year. This allows him not only to join the offensive, but also to always be in the right place in the backward movement. Drysdale has a good overview and is able to steer a power play from the blue line.

Weaknesses:

For a defender, Drysdale is rather small and light (180 cm / 77 kg). The physical game is certainly not one of its strengths, especially when it comes to man against man, it is at a disadvantage. Thanks to his cleverness, he still manages to win duels.

Possible teams:

Ottawa, Detroit, Anaheim, New Jersey

Perfect Cole ????????

Center, Saginaw Spirit (OHL), 61 Spiele, 37 Tore, 74 Assists

Strengthen:

What makes Perfetti unique is its overview. Scouts attest to his ability to play passes and see gaps that no other player can find. The Canadian is very strong on the puck and has the potential to become one of the best passers in the NHL.

Weaknesses:

Despite its small body size (177 cm / 84 kg), Perfetti is a rather weak skater. He is not particularly fast, but makes up for it with his game overview. The center also has to work on his shot. In addition, he is not looking for physical play.

Possible teams:

Ottawa, Detroit, Anaheim, New Jersey, Buffalo

Marco Rossi ????????

Center, Ottawa 67’s (OHL), 56 Spiele, 39 Tore, 81 Assists

Strengthen:

Marco Rossi has a long Swiss history. At the age of ten, he moved to Switzerland, first to the Rhine Valley, then to the organization of the ZSC Lions. Then followed the move to the Canadian Junior League, where the center really exploded last season.

Rossi grew up small (176 cm / 81 kg), but he is extremely ambitious and always looks for the train on the goal. His technique and game intelligence are outstanding. Even if he doesn’t have much space, he can prevail.

In particular, Scott Wheeler from “The Athletic” praises Rossi for his defensive game. He goes so far as to say that the Austrian is the best defensive striker in the whole draft. In addition, he also has a dangerous shot.

Weaknesses:

It all sounds great, so why is Rossi only ranked seventh here? Well, there are scouts who are very concerned about Rossi’s size and that he will struggle to assert himself in the NHL. He is also not a particularly fast skater for his small frame – a trend that seems to be repeated in this draft.

Possible teams:

Ottawa, Detroit Anaheim, New Jersey, Buffalo

Honorable mention

Alexander Holtz (RW, Djurgaardens IF), Jake Sanderson (D, US National U18 Team), Jack Quinn (RW, Ottawa 67’s), Anton Lundell (C, Helsinki IFK).

Swiss

From a Swiss point of view, unfortunately, you have to expect a lean draft again. The Switzerland-Canadian Theo Rochette has fallen behind. Once considered a candidate for the first round, it now seems more likely that it will be drawn in the late second or early third round. Defenders are candidates for later rounds Noah Delémont and striker Simon their.