Flames could risk falling out of contention for first-overall draft pick
The Calgary Flames might be having one of their worst seasons in a decade, but it may still be too good for their liking.
As the team winds down the last few weeks of the NHL season, attention is starting to turn away from the ice and onto the lottery balls that will eventually fall for this year’s draft lottery. The prize that non-playoff teams all have their eyes on is Boston University centre Macklin Celebrini.
Celebrini is the presumptive first-overall pick of this year’s draft and it’s expected that he will be able to jump onto an NHL roster as early as next season. However, not every non-playoff team will get a chance at him in the draft lottery this season.
The league rules that a team that wins the lottery can only move up a maximum of 10 spots in the draft order. This means teams on the playoff bubble, ranked 12 to 16 in the draft, will not be able to secure the first-overall pick even if the lottery balls land their way.
Right now, the Flames are dangerously close to being one of those teams.
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The Flames are coming off a disappointing 3-1 loss to the lowly Chicago Blackhawks last night and, while depressing for a large chunk of their fan base, it might actually be something worth cheering about. The tank is on in Calgary and right now, the battle to get lower in the standings is in full flight.
If the draft lottery started tonight, the Flames would have a 5% chance of winning the first-overall pick. If they continue to lose most of their games this season, those odds could go as high as 6.5% if both the Seattle Kraken and Montreal Canadiens pass them in the NHL standings.
It’s not looking great and fans should probably not hedge all their hope on the Flames winning the lottery, but every little bit counts at this time of the year, whether your team is winning or losing.
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