The 2024 NHL draft lottery was finally held tonight.
The identity of the team that gets the very first pick in the next draft was revealed…
But what we really wanted to know was the rank of the Montreal Canadiens’ pick. We know that this year, it’s Macklin Celebrini who is seen as the logical first choice… And there’s a connection with the Habs, because Celebrini spent last season alongside Lane Hutson in Boston in the NCAA.
The Canadiens were in the thick of the race, with an 8.5% chance of winning.
The Sharks (25.5%), Blackhawks (13.5%), Ducks (11.5%) and Blue Jackets (9.5%) had a better chance than the Montreal team…
And in the end, logic was respected for the Habs, as Kent Hughes and his gang will be drafted fifth.
It’s a shame – in a way – because we all wanted to see the Tricolore win the lottery to get their hands on Celebrini.
Makes sense.
The good news?
The Habs haven’t fallen down the pecking order. It will be able to get its hands on a quality player, which is just as well.
Let’s not forget that the Habs had a better chance of drafting 6th… So the final result isn’t necessarily “serious” for the Habs.
The rest of the lottery is not complicated.
Everything remained intact, which means the Sharks get the very first pick overall. This is the first time there have been no lottery surprises since 2010 and nothing has changed on the board.
Here’s the order of picks 1 to 16:
Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith, in San Jose…
That’s a nice line of centers.
The Hawks, who picked 1st last year, are also happy with the 2nd pick in the draft.
Extension
With the 5th pick, the Habs will have the opportunity to get their hands on an impact player.
There’s a lot of talk about Tij Iginla, Berkly Catton, Cayden Lindstrom and Beckett Sennecke…
Barring a surprise, we can expect to see the organization select one of these guys next June.
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