The 2024-2025 NHL season informally begins on Tuesday, May 7, 2024, with the televised results of the NHL Draft Lottery. At 6:30 PM EDT on ESPN, the first 16 teams will be drawn to determine the draft order for the June 28 NHL Draft held in Las Vegas, Nevada.
These 16 teams are those that did not quality for the NHL playoffs. Because the Vancouver Canucks are a playoff team, they are not included in the draft lottery.
It is a good problem to have when a team is not in the initial draft lottery. It usually means they are still playing or had a great year and may have recently exited in the first round of the playoffs.
How does the NHL Draft Lottery work?
Unlike the NFL which automatically awards the first overall pick to the worst-performing team the previous season, the first two picks of the draft lottery are random. After those two picks, selections three through sixteen go from worst to best record. PIcks 17-32 will be added later based on inverse order of standings. Since the new rules implemented in 2022, a team cannot win the first overall pick more often than two times in a five-year time span. Teams are also not able to move up more than 10 spots in the order.
Since the Vancouver Canucks joined the NHL in 1970, the team has never had a first overall draft pick. They are one of nine teams to never have the first overall pick. The other eight teams are the Anaheim Ducks, Calgary Flames, Carolina Hurricanes, Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators, San Jose Sharks, Seattle Kraken, and Vegas Golden Knights. Conversely, the Montreal Canadians have had the most first overall draft picks in NHL history with six since 1963. The Chicago Blackhawks won the first overall pick in 2023 and drafted Connor Bedard. In 2023, the Canucks had the 11th overall pick and selected Tom Wilander.
The 16 teams involved in the May 7 draft lottery are the Anaheim Ducks, Buffalo Sabres, Calgary Flames, Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Detroit Red Wings, Minnesota Wild, Montreal Candians, New Jersey Devils, Ottawa Senators, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, San Jose Sharks, Seattle Kraken, St. Louis Blues, and the new Utah expansion team.
Heading to Secaucus, New Jersey and the NHL Network studios to host NHL Draft Lottery. TONIGHT 6:30 edt on ESPN, Sportsnet and TVA Sports. Macklin Celebrini will be in studio with us, which is cool. The awesome NHL Draft expert Sam Cosentino with me as well. pic.twitter.com/BWXYlYvhGf
— BucciOT.Com (@Buccigross) May 7, 2024
Macklin Celebrini, a Boston University freshman, is the projected No. 1 pick, but he is undecided if he will go back to school or turn professional in the fall.