The 2022 NHL Draft lottery is Tuesday night and the Devils have a decent shot at winning it.
The drawing, which takes place in Secaucus at the NHL Network studio, is at 6:30 p.m. ET and will determine the first 16 picks. The Devils have the fifth-best odds (8.5%) for the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. The Montreal Canadiens have the best odds by far (18.5%), followed by the Arizona Coyotes (13.5%) and the expansion Seattle Kraken (11.5%).
Want to bet on the NHL?
See the best NJ Sports Betting sites
This year’s lottery will look different than previous years. In 2021, the NHL reduced the number of lottery draws from three to two, which guarantees that the team with the worst record (Montreal) will receive at least the No. 3 pick. This change occurred after the 2020 NHL Draft lottery, where the Detroit Red Wings received the No. 4 pick, despite having the worst record in the league.
This means that only two drawings will take place at Tuesday’s ceremony: the No. 2 pick and the coveted No. 1 pick. Every other pick will be determined by overall record. Also, only the 11 worst teams in the league are eligible to receive the top pick.
Should the Devils snag the No. 1 pick, they will continue their recent lottery success. The Devils have won the lottery two times since 2017, picking Nico Hischier first in 2017 and Jack Hughes in 2019.
But another rule change will eliminate this kind of success after this draft. Beginning this season, no team can win the lottery more than twice in a five-year span. Lottery wins before 2022 will not impact this year’s drawing. Along with the Devils, the Edmonton Oilers and Buffalo Sabres have won the lottery multiple times in the past 10 years.
The 2022 NHL Draft begins July 7, 2022 at the Bell Centre in Montreal. Some analysts say that there isn’t a Connor McDavid or Sidney Crosby level prospect this year, but OHL center Shane Wright is projected to go No. 1.
Here are the odds for the top pick in the NHL Draft Lottery:
• Montreal Canadiens 18.5%
• Arizona Coyotes 13.5%
• Seattle Kraken 11.5%
• Philadelphia Flyers 9.5%
• New Jersey Devils 8.5%
• Chicago Blackhawks 7.5%
• Ottawa Senators 6.5%
• Detroit Red Wings 6.0%
• Buffalo Sabres 5.0%
• Anaheim Ducks 3.5%
• San Jose Sharks 3.0%
• Columbus Blue Jackets 2.5%
• New York Islanders 2.0%
• Winnipeg Jets 1.5%
• Vancouver Canucks 0.5%
• Vegas Golden Knights 0.5%
Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription.
Ryan Novozinsky may be reached at [email protected].