Guys. Guys! After Friday’s NHL Draft Lottery, there is going to be... a second draft lottery, after a placeholder slot for one of the play-in teams won the first overall pick and a chance at Alexis Lafreniere.
Um, who could’ve seen this coming? Oh, that’s right. Corwin did! (See: No. 3.)
Currently, there are 16 teams with a chance at the first overall pick, and the second drawing will be chosen from one of the eight teams that fail to advance past the play-in round.
That absolutely leaves us with some exciting possibilities, such as the chance that the Montreal Canadiens could be in position to select a young French-Canadian star. Or just imagine what would happen if the Toronto Maple Leafs got the chance to get him?
But of all the possibilities, could anything be more unfair than the possibility that Lafreniere ends up with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, or Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl? (Seriously, imagine if the Edmonton Oilers won the first overall pick... AGAIN.)
These are the 16 teams that are going to play in the NHL’s play-in round. Come game time, we’re sure that these teams are still going to be pursuing their spot in the playoffs proper... but doesn’t the chance at Lafreniere add a new layer of spice to things?
