For the first time since 2008, the Chicago Blackhawks will be involved in the NHL Draft Lottery, and we now know their odds of getting the number one overall pick.
The Blackhawks, who haven’t missed the playoffs in a decade, will sit out the postseason this year, and as a result they will have the seventh-best odds of snagging the number one pick when the lottery order is hashed out in Toronto on April 28.
The Blackhawks will have a 6.5 percent chance of snagging the top overall selection in the draft by virtue of their 76 points during the regular season. They will also have a 20.4 percent chance of selecting in the top three, and can drop to no lower than 10th in the draft order.
The last time the Blackhawks were in the lottery, they won the 11th pick, and selected Kyle Beach. In the previous year, they had the fifth-best odds to pick first overall, and they ended up winning that selection. They then used the pick on Patrick Kane in 2007.
The Buffalo Sabres will have the best odds of picking first overall, with an 18.5 percent chance of snagging that pick. Ottawa, Arizona, Montreal, and Detroit currently round out the top five, with the Red Wings possessing an 8.5 percent chance of getting the first overall pick.
The NHL Draft will take place in June in Dallas.
