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The 2020 NHL Draft Lottery is tonight. Grab your popcorn and find a comfy seat.
WHAT: The 2020 NHL Draft Lottery
WHEN: 6 PM MDT / 8 PM EDT
HOW TO WATCH: Sportsnet, Sportsnet Now
WHY: Tonight’s the night that we find out which team drafts first overall in the 2020 NHL Draft. Maybe.
It’s complicated. There’s a good chance that we’ll know who is the team that will select Alexis Lafreniere first overall by the time the night is over. Then again, there’s a good chance also that we may not.
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There’s about a one in four chance that we will not know who picks first overall after tonight’s draft lottery. Similarly, there is a one in four chance that Ottawa will win the first pick tonight. If one of the greyed out teams wins, then one of the eight losers of the play-in round will select Alexis Lafreniere first overall afte r those eight teams have been randomized at the conclusion of the play-in round.
Got it?
YES, THAT COULD HYPOTHETICALLY MEAN THAT THE OILERS COULD SELECT FIRST OVERALL
Though you can never count the Oilers out of a draft lottery, let’s not get to that conversation until we absolutely need to have it. I don’t want to be in the room after losing a play-in to the Blackhawks, who aren’t very good. I’d be totally fine with Lafreniere ending up in Detroit and a long playoff run for the Oilers. We all would enjoy that.