NHL considering changes to draft lottery system?

It's unclear when the 2021 NHL Draft will be held amid the coronavirus pandemic. However, it appears some changes could be on the way to the draft's formatting. 

According to The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said Thursday that the draft lottery format is being worked on. He did not provide any details.

The discussions come after the league's bottom-ranked teams have missed out on a top-three pick over the last several years. For example, in 2017, the New Jersey Devils went from fifth to first in the draft and the Philadelphia Flyers went from 13th to second. 

The 2020 draft likely caused frustrations regarding the lottery to boil over. The Detroit Red Wings finished 23 points behind the 30th place Ottawa Senators last season. They ended up with the fourth pick in the 2020 draft, while the New York Rangers landed the first-overall pick after making the qualifying round of the playoffs. 

So far this season, the Senators have just five points and the Red Wings have eight. If they finish in the bottom two spots, one would think they'd have better odds to land the top two picks in the draft. 

As several teams try to rebuild, top draft picks can be essential. It's unclear how the format will change, but hopefully, the league's bottom teams benefit to create a more competitive atmosphere in the future.