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2020 NHL Draft Lottery Phase 1: Start time, TV schedule, odds, and how to watch

Even if the Sharks don’t have a lottery-eligible pick, it’s been too long since any live NHL event has happened and that’s probably why we’re here. Tonight’s Draft Lottery is just Phase 1 — meaning some of the teams who are eligible haven’t yet been “eliminated” from the NHL’s Return to Play plan, which could potentially throw a wrench in the mix of this entire draft plan if the league doesn’t end up, well, returning to play.

Still, fourteen teams are in the running for those coveted top-three draft selections, even if some of them are simply placeholders for now. The winner of the first overall selection will almost certainly also win the services of prospect Alexis Lafreniere, who will be joining the broadcast from his home.

Here’s everything you need to know:

Odds

2020 NHL Draft Lottery Odds

Team P% Odds
1. Detroit Red Wings 0.275 18.50%
2. Ottawa Senators 0.437 13.50%
3. Ottawa Senators* 0.437 11.50%
4. Los Angeles Kings 0.457 9.50%
5. Anaheim Ducks 0.472 8.50%
6. New Jersey Devils .493** 7.50%
7. Buffalo Sabres .493** 6.50%
8. Team A n/a 6.00%
9. Team B n/a 5.00%
10. Team C n/a 3.50%
11. Team D n/a 3.00%
12. Team E n/a 2.50%
13. Team F n/a 2.00%
14. Team G n/a 1.50%
15. Team H n/a 1.00%

* Acquired in a trade with San Jose Sharks (.450 points percentage)

** Buffalo Sabres ranked higher than New Jersey Devils on the basis of higher regulation/OT win percentage (Buffalo, .406 ROW%; New Jersey, .348 ROW%)

There will be three draws for each of the top three picks. If the team drawn is not a placeholder, they own that pick and will not be eligible for an additional lottery draw. If any of the draws result in a placeholder, then a second phase of the draft lottery will happen prior to the first round of playoffs. Only those eight teams are eligible for Phase 2 of the draft lottery and all of the teams will have the same odds while another draw is made for the pick(s) that have placeholders.

After all lottery picks have been assigned, and the play-in rounds have been completed, the remaining 12 teams that did not win a draw will be assigned picks in the inverse order of their points percentages at the time of the season’s pause.

The play-in rounds will look like this:

Eastern Conference Qualifying Round

#5 Pittsburgh Penguins vs. #12 Montreal Canadiens
#6 Carolina Hurricanes vs. #11 New York Rangers
#7 New York Islanders vs. #10 Florida Panthers
#8 Toronto Maple Leafs vs. #9 Columbus Blue Jackets

Western Conference Qualifying Round

#5 Edmonton Oilers vs. #12 Chicago Blackhawks
#6 Nashville Predators vs. #11 Arizona Coyotes
#7 Vancouver Canucks vs. #10 Minnesota Wild
#8 Calgary Flames vs. #9 Winnipeg Jets

How to Watch

Start time: 5 p.m. PT/8 p.m. ET
Watch (US): NBCSN, NHL Network
Watch (Canada): Sportsnet, Sportsnet Now (English), TVA Sports (French)
Stream: fubotv, NHL.tv

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