The New York Rangers are hoping to get lucky in the NHL Lottery selection and land a top-three pick in the 2018 NHL Draft on Saturday in Toronto.
The New York Rangers have been using the word “rebuild” since early February. Saturday, the rebuilding process continues as the NHL Draft Lottery to determine who will get the number pick in NHL draft in June will be held.
The lottery was created to prevent teams from tanking late in a losing season and getting the number one pick in the draft.
The Rangers traded away some of their top players (Michael Grabner, Rick Nash, Ryan McDonagh and J.T. Miller) late in the season for high draft picks with the hope of improving their team.
The lottery will have a big impact on what the direction the franchise takes in rebuilding. The Rangers need to improve on both offense and defense as they struggled scoring goals and defending their own end of the ice last season.
The Sporting News put out a list of the teams, their point totals for last season the chances of getting the number one pick and the chances of getting a top three pick for all 14 teams involved in this years Draft Lottery.
| Team | Points | Odds Of No. 1 Pick | Odds Of Top Three Pick |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Sabres | 62 points | 18.5% | 49.4% |
| Ottawa Senators | 67 points | 13.5% | 38.8% |
| Arizona Coyotes | 70 points | 11.5% | 33.9% |
| Montreal Canadiens | 71 points | 9.5% | 28.8% |
| Detroit Red Wings | 73 points | 8.5% | 26.1% |
| Vancouver Canucks | 73 points | 7.5% | 23.3% |
| Chicago Blackhawks | 76 points | 6.5% | 20.1% |
| New York Rangers | 77 points | 6.0% | 19.0% |
| Edmonton Oilers | 78 points | 5.0% | 16.0% |
| New York Islanders | 80 points | 3.5% | 11.4% |
| Carolina Hurricanes | 83 points | 3.0% | 9.9% |
| New York Islanders via Calgary | 84 points | 2.5% | 8.2% |
| Dallas Stars | 92 points | 2.0% | 6.6% |
| Philadelphia Flyers via St. Louis | 94 points | 1.5% | 5.0% |
| Florida Panthers | 96 points | 1.0% | 3.3% |
The Buffalo Sabres (18.5 percent) and Ottawa Senators (13.5 percent) have the best chance of getting the first pick in this year’s draft.
The Rangers only have a six percent chance of acquiring the number one overall pick and the New York Islanders, who will have two opportunities to get the number one pick due to a trade with the Calgary Flames, have a 3.5 percent chance to get the top pick.
Teams that qualified for the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs are not included in the Lottery Draft. They will take their spot in the draft as they are eliminated from the playoffs, hence the New Jersey Devils are not included in the above list.
The presumptive first pick in this years draft is Rasmus Dahlin. The 18-year-old defenseman is currently playing for Frolunda HC in the Swedish Elite League. He’s a smart two-way player with great stick-handling skills who can play in any situation.
The odds of the Rangers getting the first pick overall are low, but their chances for a top three pick improves to 19 percent. They have 10 picks overall heading into this year’s draft.
General Manager Jeff Gorton will have to make sure none of the picks are wasted opportunities in the effort to improve on what was a poor season.
The Rangers missed the playoffs for the first time in eight seasons and vowed to improve in the offseason as they attempt to get back into the playoffs as early as next season.
Important Upcoming NHL Dates
The NHL Draft Lottery drawing will take place Saturday, April 28 in Toronto, with representatives from all 14 lottery teams in attendance. Fans can watch on NBC Sports Network.
The event is broken down into two segments.
Just saw the NHL’s format/timing for Saturday’s draft lottery. Picks 15 thru 4 between 7:30 and 8:00 p.m. ET, picks 3 thru 1 in the second intermission of an 8 p.m. ET game. Huh. I suppose we should be happy they aren’t doing one pick a day for two weeks. ?
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) April 26, 2018
Starting at 7:30 p.m. ET, picks four-to-14 will be announced. The top three picks will be announced during the second intermission of an 8 p.m. ET playoff game that evening.
You can’t make this stuff up!
The Scouting Combine will take place May 27 – June 2 in Buffalo, NY.
The 2018 NHL Entry Draft will take place in Minnesota with the first round on Friday night June 28. Rounds two through seven will proceed the next day, Saturday, June 29.
