The results are in for the New York Islanders when it comes to the 2018 NHL Draft Lottery. They didn’t win the jackpot.
The NHL held its annual Draft Lottery on Saturday night, and the New York Islanders, with two chances to land the top overall pick, didn’t come out as the big winners.
The #Isles will pick 11th and 12th in the 2018 #NHLDraft. pic.twitter.com/yv7pbG8OEs
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) April 28, 2018
Heading into the lottery, the Islanders had the best chances to land the 10th and 12th overall picks, so falling to number 11 is a bit of a disappointment.
That said, this is a deep draft class, so the Isles should be able to land a pair of quality prospects with these picks.
While we wait to see whether the Buffalo Sabres, Carolina Hurricanes or Montreal Canadiens will land the top overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft—those picks are set to be announced during the second-period intermission of Saturday night’s second-round playoff game between the Vegas Golden Knights and San Jose Sharks—here’s a look at how the rest of the lottery went.
- 4. Ottawa Senators
- 5. Arizona Coyotes
- 6. Detroit Red Wings
- 7. Vancouver Canucks
- 8. Chicago Blackhawks
- 9. New York Rangers
- 10. Edmonton Oilers
- 11. New York Islanders
- 12. New York Islanders
- 13. Dallas Stars
- 14. Philadelphia Flyers
- 15. Florida Panthers
The New York Rangers will pick ninth, the second consecutive season that they’ll pick in the top 10.
As for the Isles, they’ve gone defense the last time they had the 11th or 12th overall pick. They selected Pat Price at No. 11 in 1975, while Calvin de Haan was the pick at No. 12 in 2009.
They can also take solace in some of the players other teams have snagged with those two picks.
It’s a list that includes the likes of Jarome Iginla (1995, 11th overall, Dallas), Marian Hossa (1997, 12th overall, Ottawa) and Anze Kopitar (2005, 11th overall, Los Angeles Kings).
With the lottery out of the way, there are two questions that need to be answered: Who will the Isles take, and, more importantly, who will be making the picks?
We can only hope that ownership’s “evaluation process” is complete by the time the 2018 NHL Draft rolls around on June 22.
