The 2019 NHL Draft is fast approaching, and lottery teams not fortunate enough to qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs will soon find out where they're picking and who will have the opportunity to selection presumptive No. 1 overall pick Jack Hughes.
The biggest exception is the Avalanche, who could experience the best of both worlds in 2019 as they clinched a postseason spot for the first time since 2009. In addition to its own first-round pick, Colorado also owns the Senators' first-rounder thanks to the 2017 Matt Duchene trade, a slot that currently holds the highest odds at winning the top overall selection when the NHL Draft lottery takes place April 9.
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Ottawa finished with the NHL's worst record, but the Kings, Devils, Red Wings and Sabres have the next-best possibilities at landing the lucky ping-pong ball.
After last year's "All in for Dahlin" movement, the 2019 slogan has been "Lose for Hughes." The Avalanche will hope for a repeat from last year's lottery when the Sabres — in the first spot to land the top pick — got their man. Hughes, 17, is rated by many as the likely first selection with 18-year-old Finnish product Kaapo Kakko viewed as the 1A.
Below are the updated odds to win the lottery's No. 1 overall draft pick. After the first drawing, odds for the remaining teams increase on a proportionate basis for the subsequent drawings to determine the No. 2 and No. 3 overall selections.
In addition, we've included the chances a team falls out of the top five all together, based on projections by Micah Blake McCurdy at Hockeyviz.com.
When is the 2019 NHL Draft lottery?
- Time: 8 p.m. ET
- TV: NBCSN, Sportsnet
- Stream: NBC Sports Live | fuboTV (free trial)
The NHL Draft lottery drawing will take place Tuesday, April 9, in Toronto. Fans can watch on NBC Sports Network in the U.S. and on Sportsnet in Canada. Then it's off to the scouting combine May 27-June 1, hosted in Buffalo, N.Y., for a fifth straight year.
The 2019 NHL Draft begins June 21 in Vancouver. Rounds 2-7 will be held June 22.
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Odds to win the 2019 NHL Draft lottery
Points vs. No. 1 overall % vs. not landing top five %
| 1. Colorado Avalanche (via Ottawa) | 64 points | 18.5% | |
| 2. Los Angeles Kings | 71 points | 13% | 13% |
| 3. New Jersey Devils | 72 points | 12% | 10% |
| 4. Detroit Red Wings | 74 points | 10% | 52% |
| 5. Buffalo Sabres | 76 points | 8% | 54% |
| 6. New York Rangers | 78 points | 6% | 77% |
| 7. Edmonton Oilers | 79 points | 8% | 77% |
| 8. Anaheim Ducks | 80 points | 6% | 82% |
| 9. Vancouver Canucks | 81 points | 5% | 83% |
| 10. Philadelphia Flyers | 82 points | 3% | 88% |
| 11. Minnesota Wild | 83 points | 2% | 90% |
| 12. Chicago Blackhawks | 84 points | 3% | 92% |
| 13. Florida Panthers | 86 points | 2% | 92% |
| 14. Arizona Coyotes | 86 points | 2% | 75% |
| 15. Montreal Canadiens | 96 points | 1.5% | 75% |