Get your microwave popcorn and craft brew ready, folks.
The 2014 NHL Draft Lottery program will go down at 8pm EDT on Tuesday night.
It's a weighted system to determine the order of selection for the first 13 picks of the 2014 NHL Draft.
To the victors go the spoils. The Buffalo Sabres are on the top of the food chain heading into the NHL Draft Lottery as they have a 25% chance of earning the first overall pick. The last time Buffalo selected first overall was in 1987 when they selected "Sneaky Pete" Turgeon from Granby. Sabres GM Tim Murray, AGM Kevin Devine, and the army of Sabres scouts have been heavily scouting the OHL, QMJHL, and the WHL since Murray was hired in January. Murray and Devine have both said that they believe that Aaron Ekblad is the most prepared to step right into the NHL and play next season. The Barrie Colts D star Ekblad finished this season with career highs in goals (23), assists (30), points (53) and PIMs (91) in his third OHL season, earned first-place finishes in the Eastern Conference Coaches Poll for best shot, hardest shot, best offensive defenseman and best defensive defenseman. He also was voted second in the category of best penalty killer.
The Sabres are also very keen on selecting Kingston Frontenacs star center Sam Bennett, be it with the first or second overall pick.
Bennett is a bang-on replica of his Kingston GM and Hockey Hall of Fame member Doug Gilmour. He has notes of Jonathon Toews and Patrice Bergeron in his game. Very praiseworthy player with talent and intangibles that set him apart for others in his peer group. He'll stab you in the gut for a loose puck and will out work his competition. Bennett finished this season with career highs in goals scored (36), assists (55), points (91), PPGs (10), +/- rating (+34) and PIMs (118).
Bennett was the top vote-getter in three categories in the OHL's Eastern Conference Coaches Poll: Smartest player, best playmaker and best stick-handler. He also was voted third for best defensive forward.
Sam Reinhart continues to impress in the Western Hockey League. He scored 36 goals and finished the season with 105 points.
TSN will broadcast the results of the Draft Lottery live during a 30-minute program produced and televised by TSN in Canada. NBC Sports Network will also air it, and it will re-air on NHL Network U.S. at 8:30 EDT.
Per NHL.com:
Thirteen of the 14 Clubs not qualifying for the Stanley Cup Playoffs – or the Clubs that have acquired the First-Round drafting positions of those non-playoff teams – will have a chance at winning the right to the first overall selection. The New Jersey Devils will not be eligible to win the Draft Lottery and will select 30th overall in the First Round.The odds of winning the Draft Lottery are determined by the teams' regular-season point totals. The Lottery-winning team will draft first overall, with the remaining 12 teams that are eligible to win the Lottery slotted in reverse order of their regular-season point totals. The First-Round drafting positions of the 16 Playoff-Qualifying Clubs (picks 14-29) will be determined by the results of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
To ensure that the odds of all 13 Clubs eligible to win the Draft Lottery are enhanced equally to reflect the Devils' situation, the Draft Lottery this year is being modified as follows: the Devils will still be included in the Draft Lottery drawing on the same basis and with the same odds that would have normally been assigned to the Club based on and consistent with its regular-season finish. However, in the event the Devils win the Draft Lottery, an immediate re draw will be conducted to select a different recipient of the first overall selection in the First Round. The same process will be conducted as many times as necessary to ensure that the first overall selection is awarded to a team other than New Jersey. The Devils will be entitled to the 30th selection overall in the 2014 NHL Draft (the last pick in the First Round). The Devils are not permitted to trade or transfer their right to the 30th overall selection.
Here's how the odds stack up in terms of choosing first overall.:
Buffalo Sabres - 25.0% Florida Panthers - 18.8% Edmonton Oilers - 14.2%% Calgary Flames - 10.7% New York Islanders - 8.1% Vancouver Canucks - 6.2% Carolina Hurricanes - 4.7% Toronto Maple Leafs- 3.6% Winnipeg Jets - 2.7% Anaheim Ducks (from Ottawa) - 2.1 New Jersey Devils - 1.5% Nashville Predators - 1.1% Phoenix Coyotes - 0.8% Washington Capitals - 0.5%
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