NHL Draft Lottery 2016: Preview, odds, and coverage
How, when, and why to watch tonight's lottery
The lottery for the 2016 NHL Entry Draft is taking place tonight, April 30, at approximately 8 p.m. eastern time in Toronto. This will precede the Capitals-Penguins on Saturday evening. Here's how you can watch:
TV: CBC, NBC
Time: Coverage starts at 7 p.m., with the draw taking place around 8 p.m.
It looks like the only online streaming option in Canada will be through GameCentre Live.
This year the top three spots in the lottery will all be up for grabs via the lottery. Every team that missed the playoffs has a shot. Here are the draft odds:
| Toronto Maple Leafs | 20% |
| Edmonton Oilers | 13.5% |
| Vancouver Canucks | 11.5% |
| Columbus Blue Jackets | 9.5% |
| Calgary Flames | 8.5% |
| Winnipeg Jets | 7.5% |
| Arizona Coyotes | 6.5% |
| Buffalo Sabres | 6% |
| Montreal Canadiens | 5% |
| Colorado Avalanche | 3.5% |
| New Jersey Devils | 3% |
| Ottawa Senators | 2.5% |
| Carolina Hurricanes | 2% |
| Boston Bruins | 1% |
After the first-overall pick is determined, the relative likelihood of each team winning the second-overall pick will stay the same. The same for the third-overall pick. So for example, if the Leafs win the first-overall pick, the Sens' new odds of winning the second-overall pick will be 2.5%/(100%-20%)=3.125%.
In the end, the odds of the Sens moving up in the draft are less than 10%. As much as every team has a shot, it's not a great one. Still, if you want to feel better about yourself, you're welcome to try out the draft lottery simulator and see how often the Sens win. As Canucks' GM Jim Benning would tell you, it's a great way to prepare for the actual lottery.