The 2018 NHL Draft Lottery is set for Saturday in Toronto, and will consist of three drawings: the 1st Lottery Draw will determine the club selecting first overall, the 2nd Lottery Draw will determine the club selecting second overall and the 3rd Lottery Draw will determine the club selecting third overall.
Tune in on NBC in the U.S. and CBC in Canada.
The 15 clubs that did not qualify for the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs - or the clubs that have acquired the first-round picks of those non-playoff clubs - will participate in the 2018 NHL Draft Lottery.
NHL.com has a little bit more on the top prospects available:
Defenseman Rasmus Dahlin of Frolunda in the Swedish Hockey League and right wing Andrei Svechnikov of the Ontario Hockey League's Barrie Colts maintained their No. 1 ranking among International and North American Skaters, respectively, as the NHL Central Scouting Bureau today released its final rankings for the 2018 NHL Draft.
Dahlin (Trollhattan, Sweden) looks to become the second Swedish-born player selected first overall in the NHL Draft (Mats Sundin: No. 1 in 1989 by QUE). He starred for Frolunda in 2017-18, recording 7-13-20 in 41 games. Dahlin also captured a silver medal and was named Best Defenseman as a member of Team Sweden at the 2018 World Junior Championship and represented his country at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games.
"Dahlin is the real deal and the clear-cut No. 1, pro-ready prospect for the 2018 NHL Draft," said Director of NHL Central Scouting Dan Marr. "He has the skating, skills and elite hockey sense that can dictate the style of play and pace of a game with or without the puck. The icing on the cake with Dahlin is that he's an ultra-competitive player and a high-character person who leads by example."
Svechnikov (Barnaul, Russia) ranked first among OHL rookies with 40-32-72 in 2017-18 (44 GP). He averaged 1.64 points per game, placing first among rookies and fifth overall. His brother, Evgeny Svechnikov, was drafted 19th overall by the Detroit Red Wings in 2015.
"Svechnikov has a consistent and competitive power game that gets the puck through checks and to the net with speed and skill," said Marr. "As a first-year player, he quickly established himself in the OHL as an offensive impact player capable of influencing the game every time he's on the ice."
The allocation of odds for the 1st Lottery Draw of the 2018 NHL Draft Lottery is as follows:
Non-Playoff Team (Fewest Points to Most): Odds
Buffalo Sabres: 18.5%
Ottawa Senators\: 13.5%
Arizona Coyotes: 11.5%
Montreal Canadiens: 9.5%
Detroit Red Wings: 8.5%
Vancouver Canucks: 7.5%
Chicago Blackhawks: 6.5%
New York Rangers: 6.0%
Edmonton Oilers: 5.0%
New York Islanders: 3.5%
Carolina Hurricanes: 3.0%
New York Islanders (from CGY): 2.5%
Dallas Stars: 2.0%
St. Louis Blues^: 1.5%
Florida Panthers: 1.0%
\ Under the terms of a Nov. 5, 2017, trade: The Senators have the option to retain their pick and instead send the Avalanche their first-round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft.
^ Under the terms of a June 23, 2017, trade: If St. Louis' pick is in the top 10, the Blues have the option to retain their pick and instead send the Flyers their first-round pick in the 2019 NHL Draft. Otherwise, Philadelphia will receive St. Louis' first-round pick in 2018.
We'll have full coverage of the lottery for you here on Sabres.com.
