What are the Blackhawks' Draft Lottery Odds After Christmas?
As we get the NHL schedule re-started tonight after the three-day Christmas break, it’s a good time to take stock of a number of things. How is a team performing? Is a team healthy? Will a team be a buyer or a seller at the trade deadline? And, as we were keeping track last year as Blackhawks fans, what are the odds of our favorite squad winning the NHL Draft Lottery.
When the music stopped on Dec. 23, the Blackhawks had put together a 10-22-1 record, good for 21 points in the standings. That’s tied with the San Jose Sharks for the lowest point total in the league. However, the Blackhawks have one game in-hand on the Sharks, so San Jose technically has the worst record in the league — and, thereby, owns the best odds of winning the 2024 NHL Draft Lottery.
The Blackhawks are second in the draft lottery standings (Mediocre of Macklin? Crappy for Celebrini? Nothing rolls off the tongue like “Bad for Bedard” did last year…).
Right now:
You can view the fully updated odds at Tankathon (they do a great job).
It’s also worth noting the Blackhawks have the 15th pick in the 2024 NHL Draft as it stands today by virtue of acquiring Tampa Bay’s pick in the Brandon Hagel trade. Tampa actually has the 16th-worst point percentage right now; Arizona is 15th-worst in point percentage but they’re in a playoff spot in the Western Conference right now and would not be in the lottery.
The pick Chicago acquired from Tampa is top-ten protected. The Lightning have a 1.1 percent chance at their current position of moving up to No. 5 overall, which would move the pick to being unprotected in 2025. If they stay at 15 (as the overwhelming odds would indicate is likely), the Blackhawks would pick there. And, as a reminder, the Blackhawks selected Oliver Moore with the first of the two first-round picks they acquired in that deal.
Tab is the Lead Blackhawks voice for BN. He is the author of two books about the Blackhawks, most recently "Chicago Blackhawks: An Illustrated Timeline" (Reedy Press, 2021). Find him on Twitter at @The1Tab
