NHL making changes to draft lottery
The Connor McDavid/Jack Eichel sweepstakes will have a new odds breakdown that will improve the chances of winning the draft lottery for 10 of the 14 non-playoff teams in 2014-15.
The worst four finishers will have reduced odds of winning the No. 1 draft pick, while teams ranked 17th through 26th will have better odds.
According to the league, the odds "will be adjusted to more appropriately reflect the current state of competitive balance in the League."
This will be the first step up of a two-year phase-in of new rules governing the NHL draft lottery.
Previously, the worst team had a 25% of winning the lottery. Now, its odds will be 20%. The odds for the second-worst team are going from 18.8% to 13.5%.
It's an important change because McDavid and Eichel are both franchise centers who help change a direction of a struggling franchise. Currently, dazzling center McDavid would be the consensus No. 1, but there are many scouts who believe Eichel can challenge him to be No. 1.
Under the changes for 2015, the worst team in the standings is still guaranteed to pick at least second, meaning it will have a chance at one of those players.
But that guarantee will go away in 2016 when the NHL adopts the second step of the plan. In 2016, the lottery will determine the first three picks in the draft. The team with the worst record will be guaranteed only the No. 4 pick.
The odds from 2015 will be carried over, and there will be a lottery for the first pick, and separate lottery drawings for the No. 2 and No. 3 picks.
According to the NHL, "Odds for the remaining teams will increase on a proportionate basis for the second lottery draw based on which club wins the first lottery draw, and again for the third lottery draw, based on which club wins the second lottery draw. "
The starting odds in 2015 and moving forward (previous odds are in parentheses):
1: 20.0% (25.0)%
2: 13.5% (18.8%)
3: 11.5% (14.2%)
4: 9.5% (10.7%)
5: 8.5% (8.1%)
6: 7.5% (6.2%)
7: 6.5% (4.7%)
8: 6.0% (3.6%)
9: 5.0% (2.7%)
10: 3.5% (2.1%)
11: 3.0% (1.5%)
12: 2.5% (1.1%)
13: 2.0% (0.8%)
14: 1.0% (0.5%)