Unlucky Red Wings Can Win Lottery And Still Not Get No. 1 Pick

Maybe it would be fitting if the Detroit Red Wings won the NHL Draft Lottery tonight (6:30 p.m., ESPN) when they own a 0.5% probability percentage

After all, Detroit general manager Steve Yzerman has absolutely no luck when it comes to this lottery. He’s owned a chance to win the No. 1 pick every year since 2019 and never gotten a sniff. In 2019, the Red Wings boasted the fourth-best odds and end up drafting sixth. In 2020, they had the NHL’s worst record, the best draft odds, and ended up drafting fourth overall.

You’re probably getting the picture.

So this year, the Red Wings have zero chance to win the No. 1 draft pick. Because they barely missed the playoffs, they are 15th from the bottom. Teams can only move up a maximum of 10 spots in the draft if they win the lottery. That means only the bottom 11 teams can earn the No. 1 pick.

If the Red Wings win the lottery, they would pick fifth in the draft.

That’s why there’s been joking about the Red Wings will finally win the lottery and still not get the No. 1 draft pick. That’s why it might be fitting.

Sharks, ‘Hawks Odds Favorites

Kidding aside, the San Jose Sharks have the best odds (18.5%) and the Chicago Blackhawks are second (13.5%). The Blackhawks won the draft lottery last year and were able to draft franchise player Connor Bedard.  They won the lottery last year with 11.5% odds.

If the Blackhawks won the lottery again, they would secure another center, Macklin Celebrini who scored 34 goals in 38 games this season for Boston University. Landing Bedard and then Celebrini would be similar to what occurred in 2006 and 2007 when the Blackhawks drafted Jonathan Toews and then Patrick Kane.

The Red Wings have 97.9% chance of staying at No. 15 for the draft. They have a 1.1% of drafting at No. 5. (There’s a second lottery for the No. 2 pick). They also have 1.1% chance of picking 16th. The St. Louis Blues, behind Detroit in the lottery odds, have the same 0.5% chance of winning the lottery. If they win, Detroit would be shoved down one spot.

Maybe that would be more fitting the Red Wings’ history.

Detroit fans have always been disappointed by Yzerman’s lottery luck, although it’s hard to complain about his results. When the Red Wings slipped to No. 6 in 2019, Yzerman landed Seider and when he fell to No. 4 a year later, he landed Lucas Raymond