We’re just a few hours from the moment when a barrel full of ping-pong balls will determine the future of the NHL. Yes, there are better ways to determine a draft order, and even more entertaining options. But there’s something to be said for the simplicity of a lottery, and the dramatic tension of watching those cards flip over in real time.
It’s fair to say that hockey fans have learned to love lottery day… right up until they don’t.
That’s the gamble we’re all taking tonight. Whether your team is involved or not, you have your own ideas about who you’re rooting for or against, and the results may or may not match those hopes. By the end of the night, some fan base will be shopping for Macklin Celebrini jerseys, while others will be screaming about how unfair the whole thing is.
For now, let’s get calibrated with our annual draft lottery power rankings, in which we look at things from a few different angles.
The “What’s Best For Macklin Celebrini?” Ranking
Two years ago I said the Seattle Kraken would be perfect for Shane Wright, and last year I called the Vancouver Canucks “a mess from top to bottom.” What will I be completely wrong about this year? The mind boggles.
Not ranked: Columbus Blue Jackets – I kind of hate to do this to them, but… you get it, right, Blue Jackets fans? At least until we know who the coach and GM will be, this feels like a situation you’d rather avoid if you were a teenager just starting out.
5. Anaheim Ducks – They always show up in this section; last year I wrote that they’ve got “Some fun pieces already in place and a low-pressure market that still remembers what a Stanley Cup tastes like.” That hasn’t really changed, although there’s just enough uncertainty around the current young core these days that I’ve nudged them down a few spots.
4. Montreal Canadiens – The rebuild hasn’t been flashy, but it’s working, and he’d be one more piece of the puzzle. Montreal is always tricky for prospects because the pressure is high, meaning the floor for the whole experience is lower. But especially with Martin St. Louis there, it feels like a fit for a dynamic young forward.
3. San Jose Sharks – I wasn’t sure where to put the Sharks, or even whether they should be here at all. They’re a mess today but are cleaning house, and low expectations for the first few years aren’t the worst thing for a young prospect. Also, his dad once worked for the Golden State Warriors, which doesn’t really help but I’m grasping here.
2. Utah Whatever – And yes, it’s the “Whatever” instead of the “Whatevers” because singular team names are the coolest, man. I like this landing spot a lot for Celebrini, who’d probably get all of the hype of a franchise savior without any of the pressure from a fan base just happy to have the NHL.
1. Chicago Blackhawks – You’d hate it, but Celebrini has already played in Chicago, in the USHL, so there’s presumably a comfort level. More importantly, he’d be going to a marquee team where he wouldn’t have to carry the pressure of saving the franchise because that’s already Connor Bedard’s job. Instead, Celebrini could settle in as the Mark Messier or Evgeni Malkin or Leon Draisaitl of the Hawks’ next dynasty.
The “Who Actually Deserves It?” Rankings
As always, the right answer is: Nobody! But some teams deserve it more than others, as our writers argued earlier this week.
Not ranked: Pittsburgh Penguins – No, thank you.
5. Chicago Blackhawks – Look, I get it, we’d all hate this very much, but they did win the top pick in an alternate Gold Plan universe. You know what, that’s a bad plan after all, people should stop talking about it.
4. Anaheim Ducks – Finishing second in both the Sidney Crosby and Connor Bedard lotteries has to earn a team some solid karma.
3. Philadelphia Flyers – They didn’t tank. They seemed like maybe they wanted to, and you could absolutely argue that they should…
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