Canadiens: 2024 NHL Draft Lottery Rules And Odds Refresher

With the 2024 NHL Draft Lottery just around the corner, it’s time to go through the various rules and odds that will impact the Montreal Canadiens and other teams hoping to put their hands on the No.1 pick this summer.

2024 NHL Draft Lottery Information

When: The 2024 NHL Draft Lottery will take place on Tuesday, May 7th.

The coverage of the draw is scheduled to begin at 6:30 pm ET, on the NHL Network.  As an aside, the draw will take place a couple of hours before the coverage begins. This is to give the NHL Network a little time to prepare and edit their show.

How To Watch: The Draft Lottery will be broadcast on the NHL Network, Sportsnet, TVA Sports, and ESPN.

2024 NHL First Overall Draft Lottery Odds

The first overall pick is awarded by a randomly weighted draw. Teams can only move up 10 spots, which means only the 11 teams with the worst records this season are eligible to land the first overall pick.

The odds to win the first overall pick at the 2024 NHL Draft are as follows for the teams ranked 1 through 11:

1. San Jose Sharks- 18.5%

2. Chicago Blackhawks – 13.5%

3. Anaheim Ducks – 11.5%

4. Columbus Blue Jackets – 9.5%

5. Montreal Canadiens – 8.5 %

6. Utah – Name To Be Decided Later – 7.5%

7. Ottawa Senators – 6.5%

8. Seattle Kraken – 6.0%

9. Calgary Flames – 5.0%

10. New Jersey Devils – 3.5%

11. Buffalo Sabres – 3.0%

Second Draw

Once the first Lottery takes place, the winning team is locked in at that position.

A second draw then takes place to determine the winner of the second draw. The winner of the second draw can only move up 10 spots, and it will not impact the team that won the first lottery.

Montreal Canadiens Brass Tacks

Given that teams can move up via the NHL Draft Lottery, you’ll note the Canadiens have much lower odds of drafting first or second compared to their chances of being given the sixth overall pick.

They cannot drop lower than seventh overall, as only two teams can potentially jump ahead of them.

Historically speaking, we will probably see a change at the top of the official Draft list, as the worst team in the NHL has only held onto the first-overall pick four times in the last 10 seasons. For example, the San Jose Sharks have a 18.5 percent chance of maintaining the first overall pick this year, while they have a 55.7 percent chance of drafting third overall.

The last time a team in fifth moved to first was in 2017 when the New Jersey Devils selected Nico Hischier. It should be noted that the Colorado Avalanche ended up with the fourth overall pick that year, which they used to pick a future Norris Trophy winner Cale Makar.

It’s too early to suggest the Habs will also end up with a game-changing presence in their lineup following the conclusion of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, but there is certainly a lot of talent among the top 10 prospects available.

MUST READ: MHN Pre-Lottery 2024 NHL Mock Draft