BID: Canadiens game-worn jerseys
Feeling lucky? Here's a quick reminder of how the lottery works:
That's good news for Canadiens fans, since the team remains eligible to hit the Draft jackpot under the new rules.
Here's a look at the odds for all 16 teams in the lottery:
As mentioned, Montreal has the fifth-best odds (8.5%) of winning the first-overall pick in the opening lottery.
If another team wins the lottery, the Habs can still get the second-overall pick in the second draw... unless it's the pesky Sens.
In this scenario, the Ottawa Senators, who sit 12th with 2.5% odds in the Draft Lottery rankings, would need to win the first lottery and jump 10 spots to No. 2. The vacant first-overall spot would then automatically go to the Anaheim Ducks, who have the best chance of winning this year's NHL sweepstakes. If the Canadiens then win the second draw, the third selection would be theirs as picks 1 and 2 would already be accounted for.
It's highly improbable (and confusing), but there's still a chance.
The odds will be reset for each team heading into both draws.
Moving outside of the coveted Top 3, the Canadiens cannot obtain the fourth-overall pick. Montreal can only improve on its current fifth spot by winning one of the two lotteries, which would move them into positions 1, 2 or 3 as explained above, but never 4.
Lastly, Montreal can drop no lower than two spots, so the team's first pick will be somewhere between 1st and 7th overall (excluding 4th). One or two teams with lower odds than the Canadiens would need to win one or both lotteries to push Montreal to 6th or 7th. Once the top two lottery spots are determined, the rest of the field falls into order based on the final regular season standings.
The Canadiens' most-likely draft position is fifth-overall.
But don't forget: the Habs own another first-round pick acquired in the trade that sent defenseman Ben Chiarot to the Florida Panthers in 2022. The placement of that selection will depend on how far the Panthers go in the 2023 NHL Playoffs. Not exactly lottery related, but still worth mentioning since it may have Canadiens fans cheering for their longtime rival Maple Leafs - what are the odds of that?
The final draft order for all 32 teams will be completed as the postseason plays out.
Got it all? Now put your statistical expertise to the test with the
Canadiens' official Draft Lottery Simulator
for the chance to win a cap signed by last year's first-round picks Juraj Slafkovsky and Filip Mesar!
