NHL Draft Lottery: Buffalo Sabers odds, how to watch and more

BUFFALO, NY (WIVB) – The results of the 2024 NHL Draft will be revealed Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. Here are 4 things to know about the Sabres’ latest appearance in the annual competition.

What are the Sabres’ chances of becoming the top pick?

Of the 16 teams that missed the playoffs, 10 had a worse record than the Sabres. This means that Buffalo was assigned the 11th highest lottery odds at 3%.

The most likely outcome is that the Sabers will remain at 11th overall. But they could end up choosing 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 11th, 12th or 13th, due to some recent changes in how the lottery process works.

Three years ago, the NHL changed the lottery process to limit the number of draft spots a team can advance. Now, it might be more useful to think of the lottery as awarding a voucher for moving up 10 draft slots, rather than automatically offering the winner the first overall pick. So, if a team with the 13th best odds wins the drawing for the No. 1 pick, they will only move up to No. 3, and the team with the best odds (San Jose) will keep the first pick.

The only way the Sabers can win the first or second pick is to win a coin toss. There is also a rare scenario where they would get the third pick: if the Flyers, who have the 12th best odds, won the first lottery and the Sabers won the second drawing. In this case, the Flyers could only move up 10 spots to No. 2, San Jose would lock in at No. 1, and then the team winning the second drawing could only move up to No. 3.

Alternatively, if the Sabers don’t win the lottery but one or more teams with the worst odds are selected, the Sabers could fall back to the 12th or 13th pick.

Full lottery odds are below. The odds of winning the second draw will change proportionally depending on which team wins the first draw.

How can I watch the draft lottery?

The Draft Lottery will be broadcast on ESPN at 6:30 p.m. and available for streaming via ESPN. Canadian fans can watch via Sportsnet or TVA Sports. Results will be published shortly thereafter on WIVB.com.

Who is the best prospect in the draft?

Boston University forward Macklin Celebrini is the unanimous top prospect in the draft, and the celebration will be for whichever team takes home the top pick. As the youngest player in Division I hockey at age 17, Celebrini recorded 32 goals and 32 assists in 38 games, surpassing Jack Eichel’s goal total in their only seasons with the Terriers. Both players won the Hobey Baker Memorial Award as the best player in college hockey.

After Celebrini, there is less consensus in the ranking. Check out the rankings from NHL central recruiting and broadcasting legend Bob McKenzie here.

How many times have the Sabers won the draft lottery?

The NHL has held a draft lottery since 1995, changing the process several times over the past three decades. In 2016, the league began awarding the top three picks via the lottery system, and in 2021 it reduced the number of selections to two.

The Sabers have won the lottery twice: in 2018, when they selected Rasmus Dahlin first overall, and in 2021, when they nabbed Owen Power. In each case, they entered the lottery with the best odds. The Sabers lost the draft lottery in 2015, when Edmonton moved from third to first and skipped Buffalo and Arizona to select Connor McDavid.

The league adopted a rule starting in 2022 that no team can win the lottery more than twice in a five-year period. Lottery winners since this rule took effect include Chicago (2023), Anaheim (2023), Montreal (2022) and New Jersey (2022).

Bonus: Top Prospects Head to Buffalo

The 2024 NHL Scouting Pool will take place again in Buffalo in June.

The NHL Combine is similar to the popular NFL version, featuring top draft-eligible North American and international prospects. This year’s event will take place June 2-8 at KeyBank Center and HarborCenter.