The 2024 NHL Draft Lottery takes place tonight at the NHL Network’s studio in Secaucus, NJ kicking off at 6:30pm ET.
The big prize this year is Boston University forward Macklin Celebrini, who wrapped up a blistering freshman season at BU with 64 points (32G, 32A) for the Terriers. While he may not be a generational talent to the degree of a Bedard or McDavid, Celebrini brings a ton of offensive upside to the table and will be a line driving number 1 centre for years to come at the NHL level.
Other interesting names to watch in this year’s draft include SKA St. Petersburg forward Ivan Demidov, Michigan State defender Artyom Levshunov, Denver’s Zeev Buium, Cayden Lindstrom (WHL), Trevor Connelly (USHL), KHL centre Anton Silayev, Berkly Catton from Spokane (WHL), and Sam Dickinson from London (OHL).
Beyond that group lies a crop of high potential players who could prove to be steals on draft day in Cole Eiserman (USNTDP), Zayne Parekh of Saginaw (OHL), Carter Yakemchuk (WHL), Michael Brandsegg-Nygaard (Mora), Konsta Helenius (Jukurit), and Jarome’s son Tij Iginla (WHL).
While the teams will find out their fate on Tuesday night, the real fireworks begin on Friday June 28th, as beyond Celebrini going number 1 overall, the rest of the top 10 is currently in flux. Using Iginla as an example, some scouts have him as potential dark horse top 5 selection, while others have him ranked 20th on their big board.
Such is the uncertainty surrounding the current crop of incoming rookies, which could make for a trade filled night at The Sphere in Las Vegas later this summer. Here are the odds for each team heading into the Draft Lottery:
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| San Jose Sharks | 18.5% |
| Chicago Blackhawks | 13.5% |
| Anaheim Ducks | 11.5% |
| Columbus Blue Jackets | 9.5% |
| Montreal Canadiens | 8.5% |
| Utah | 7.5% |
| Ottawa Senators | 6.5% |
| Seattle Kraken | 6.0% |
| Calgary Flames | 5.0% |
| New Jersey Devils | 3.5% |
| Buffalo Sabres | 3.0% |
| Philadelphia Flyers | 2.5% |
| Minnesota Wild | 2.0% |
| Pittsburgh Penguins* | 1.5% |
| Detroit Red Wings | 0.5% |
| St. Louis Blues | 0.5% |
*Pittsburgh will transfer its 1st-round pick in either the 2024 or 2025 NHL Draft to San Jose. If Pittsburgh’s 2024 1st-round pick becomes a top 10 pick as a result of the Draft Lottery, Pittsburgh will have the option to transfer its 2025 1st-round pick to San Jose instead of its 2024 1st-round pick.
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