The Big Lead

NHL News: Draft lottery winner is a huge underdog

Start spreading the news: the first name off the board at the NHL Draft in June will go to a team from New York.

By J.P. Hoornstra

A general view of the exterior of The Sphere after the NHL Draft.
A general view of the exterior of The Sphere after the NHL Draft. / Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
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New York isn't usually an underdog in any context, but their two NHL teams faced long odds at this year's draft lottery. The Islanders (10th, 3.5 percent) and Rangers (11th, 3 percent) were looking up at nine other teams with better odds of landing the first pick Monday.

Start spreading the news: the Islanders will pick first in June.

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After a season that saw the Isles go 35-35-12 and provide few highlights — other than being on the receiving end of Alex Ovechkin's 895th career goal — an unexpected reward will come in the form of the best player in this year's draft.

Matthew Schaefer, a defenseman for the Ontario Hockey League's Erie (Pa.) Otters, is the consensus number-1 pick.

The draft "loser" is the San Jose Sharks. After posting the worst record in the league at 20-50-12, the Sharks had the best odds of any team going into the lottery selection Monday at 18.5 percent. They will draft second.

Don't feel too bad for Team Teal: they drafted first overall a year ago, and landed 25-goal scorer Macklin Celebrini.

The Utah Hockey Club won the second draw, but because NHL teams can only improve their standing by 10 slots in the lottery, they will pick fourth. Utah had a 1.5 percent chance at landing the number-1 pick in the draft.

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The NBA instituted the first draft lottery by a major North American professional sports league in 1985. The NHL followed 10 years later.

The Islanders have only made two number-1 selections in the lottery era: forward John Tavares (2009) and goaltender Rick DiPietro (2000).

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