As the NHL season comes to a close, the Montreal Canadiens’ draft lottery odds have officially been set.
With the Arizona Coyotes beating the Oilers in their final game of the season on Wednesday night, the Canadiens have dropped to 28th place in the NHL’s overall standings.
NHL
Had Arizona not secured at least one point on the night, Montreal, who concluded their campaign with a 30-36-16 record, would have otherwise finished in 27th.
The Habs’ new placement gives them the fifth-best odds of winning the draft lottery next month with an 8.5% chance of landing the first overall pick in the draw.
However, as indicated on the following Tankathon chart, Montreal’s three most likely picks are fifth (24.5.4% chance), sixth (44% chance), and seventh (17.2% chance). Alternatively, they hold a cumulative 17.4% chance of picking somewhere in the top three.
Tankathon
Last season, when the Canadiens were awarded the fifth overall pick via the lottery, they also concluded the year in 28th place with a 31-45-6 record, going into the lottery with the exact same odds of securing the first overall pick.
For context, Montreal finished dead last in the league in the 2021-22 season, which helped them land the first overall pick in the lottery that year.
As for the rest of the league, the San Jose Sharks are lottery favourites, boasting the NHL’s worst record (19-53-9) this year, with a 25.5% chance of winning the top selection. Meanwhile, the Chicago Blackhawks are one spot ahead of the Sharks in the standings and have a 13.5% chance of winning the draw for the second consecutive year.
The 2024 NHL draft lottery is expected to take place on May 6 or 7.
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