After a long wait, tonight we find out where the Columbus Blue Jackets will pick in this summer’s NHL Entry Draft. (side note: I remember at the end of the season that the lottery felt so far away, but somehow the last three weeks have flown by).
The full odds are here at Tankathon. The important numbers to care about are the odds for the Blue Jackets:
Pick first: 13.5%
Stay at second: 14.1%
Fall to third: 30.7%
Fall to fourth: 41.7%
As Bill Daly flips the cards over starting with #16, keep an eye on the first three names. If any of Calgary, Nashville, Pittsburgh, or Buffalo are NOT among the first four logos revealed, then it means Columbus will fall no lower than third (since those teams can rise a maximum of ten spots). After that, the longer the names are revealed in order, the more our odds improve.
1. Anaheim Ducks: 18.5%
2. Columbus Blue Jackets: 13.5%
3. Chicago Blackhawks: 11.5%
4. San Jose Sharks: 9.5%
5. Montreal Canadiens: 8.5%
6. Arizona Coyotes: 7.5%
7. Philadelphia Flyers: 6.5%
8. Washington Capitals: 6%
9. Detroit Red Wings: 5%
10. St. Louis Blues: 3.5%
11. Vancouver Canucks: 3%
12. Ottawa Senators: 2.5%
13. Buffalo Sabres: 2%
14. Pittsburgh Penguins: 1.5%
15. Calgary Flames: 0.5%
16. Nashville Predators: 0.5%
Your fun and games start at 8 p.m. EDT on ESPN. An explainer of the process can be found here.
Come chat with us during the show!
Let’s go, Jackets!