The 2020 NHL Draft Lottery will be held on Friday, June 26, commissioner Gary Bettman announced via a press conference on Tuesday. There are a few phases to this draft lottery process, as well as the NHL’s plan for returning this season. On top of the lottery, the NHL announced the 24-team playoff format and that the regular season has concluded. Obviously, we’d normally have a set order for the draft lottery, but the new playoff format adds some complications. Let’s take a look at the breakdown via TSN’s Bob McKenzie.
NHL Draft Lottery will be on Friday June 26. The Nos. 1, 2 and 3 picks will be up for grabs. Fifteen teams — the seven who are no longer playing plus 8 more currently identified as Teams A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H — will be in the lottery. Same lottery odds as prior years.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) May 26, 2020
So 15 teams are added to the lottery — seven of those teams are the bottom seven in the overall standings. Basically teams that were going to be in the lottery anyway. The other eight teams are made up of the lower seeds participating in the qualifying round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
If the winner of the No. 1 pick draw comes from the bottom 7 seven teams (DET, OTT, SJ (belongs to OTT), LA, ANA, NJ, BUF), that team is awarded No. 1. If the winner of the No. 1 pick draw comes from the other 8 teams, the No. 1 pick will be awarded in the Phase 2 lottery.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) May 26, 2020
The top 3 picks in the draft are always a separate lottery, essentially. So, if any of the bottom seven teams end up winning picks 1-3, then there won’t be a need for another lottery in Phase 2 of the League’s plan. That would be after the qualifying round of the playoffs and before the first round would begin. Here’s what happens once the top 3 picks are awarded.
Once the top three picks have been awarded in Phase 1 or Phase 2, the remaining 12 spots will be assigned to the teams that didn’t win a draw and based on inverse order of their regular season points percentage at the time of the pause.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) May 26, 2020
It’s a bit confusing, so thank god we’ve got Bobby Margarita to help us out. Here’s a basic breakdown of the teams:
Bottom 7
Detroit Red Wings
Ottawa Senators
San Jose Sharks
Los Angeles Kings
Anaheim Ducks
New Jersey Devils
Buffalo Sabres
Qualifying Round 8
Montreal Canadiens
Chicago Blackhawks
Arizona Coyotes
Minnesota Wild
Winnipeg Jets
Florida Panthers
New York Rangers
Columbus Blue Jackets
UPDATE: The NHL issued a press release attempting to explain the draft lottery:
2020 NHL Draft Lottery
The NHL Draft Lottery will determine the order for the first 15 selections of the 2020 NHL Draft. The picks will be awarded to the seven teams that do not resume play and the eight teams that do not advance from the Qualifying Round (or the teams that acquired their first-round picks).
Phase 1
- Phase 1 of the Draft Lottery will be conducted prior to the Qualifying Round on Friday, June 26.
- Three draws: First Draw (first overall pick), Second Draw (second overall pick) and Third Draw (third overall pick).
- Clubs entered: The seven teams that do not return to play, ranked in inverse order of their points percentage at the time of the regular-season pause, and eight “place-holders” to represent the to-be-determined Qualifying Round teams that will not advance, thus maintaining previously-established odds.
First Draw
- If the winning team of the First Draw is from the #1-7 group, that team wins the right to the first overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft.
- If the winning team of the First Draw is from the #8-15 group, the right to the first overall pick will be determined in Phase 2 of the Draft Lottery.
- After the First Draw, the winning team (from either the #1-7 group or the #8-15 group) will no longer be eligible for the Second or Third Draws. All number combinations originally assigned to this team will become “Re-Draw Combinations” for the Second and Third Draws. The remaining teams’ odds will increase on a proportionate basis for the Second Draw based on which team wins the First Draw.
Second Draw
- If the winning team of the Second Draw is from among the #1-7 group, that team wins the right to the second overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft.
- If the winning team of the Second Draw is from the #8-15 group, the right to the second overall pick will be determined in Phase 2 of the Draft Lottery.
- After the Second Draw, the winning team (from either the #1-7 group or the #8-15 group) will no longer be eligible for the Third Draw. All number combinations originally assigned to this team will become “Re-Draw Combinations” for the Third Draw. The remaining teams’ odds will increase on a proportionate basis for the Third Draw based on which team wins the Second Draw.
Third Draw
- If the winning team of the Third Draw is from among the #1-7 group above, that team wins the right to the third overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft.
- If the winning team of the Third Draw is from the #8-15 group, the right to the third overall pick will be determined in Phase 2 of the Draft Lottery.
If All Three Draws Are Won by Teams in #1-7 Group . . .
- The winning teams receive the respective top three selections in the 2020 NHL Draft. The remaining four teams in the #1-7 group not selected in the three draws are assigned NHL Draft positions 4 through 7 in inverse order of their points percentage at the time of the regular-season pause. The next eight Draft positions (8 through 15) will be assigned to the eight teams that do not advance from the Qualifying Round, in inverse order of their points percentage at the time of the regular-season pause. In these circumstances, Phase 2 of the Draft Lottery would not be necessary.
If Any of the Three Draws Are Won by Teams in the #8-15 Group
- The Draws for the corresponding selections will be conducted during Phase 2 among only the eight Qualifying Round teams that failed to advance.
Phase 2
- Phase 2 of the Draft Lottery, if necessary, will be conducted between the Qualifying Round and First Round.
- Phase 2 participants: the eight teams that do not advance from the Qualifying Round (or the teams that acquired their first-round picks).
- Following each Phase 2 draw, the winning team will be assigned the corresponding Top 3 selection and, if another Phase 2 draw is necessary, that team’s numbered lottery ball will be removed.
- When all Phase 1 and Phase 2 draws are completed and the Top 3 selections in the 2020 NHL Draft assigned, the remaining selections in the Top 15 will be assigned to the 12 teams that did not win a draw in inverse order of their points percentages at the time of the season’s pause.
- In each Phase 2 draw, all participants will have the same odds.