The NHL draft lottery was flipped upside down when a placeholder team won the right to the first overall pick. Every team that's eliminated from the upcoming play-in round will now own an equal 12.5% chance at drafting QMJHL phenom Alexis Lafreniere.

Let's take a look at what each Western Conference team stands to gain should it win the unprecedented draft lottery.

Eastern Conference l Western Conference

(No. 5) Edmonton Oilers

2019-20 record: 37-25-9 (.585)
Last No. 1 pick: Connor McDavid (2015)

Imagine the frenzy the hockey world would go into if the Oilers won yet another draft lottery? The organization has already selected first overall four times this decade. A fifth would be downright absurd, and frankly, completely unfair.

Even though fans would be accusing the league of rigging the lottery, the on-ice product would be highly entertaining with Lafreniere on a line with McDavid. Or how about Leon Draisaitl?

Edmonton’s power play was already historically good this season. How much better could it be with Lafreniere in the mix? If the Oilers weren’t already producing must-watch TV, they would be after adding yet another highly touted prospect.

(No. 6) Nashville Predators

2019-20 record: 35-26-8 (.565)
Last No. 1 pick: N/A

If the Predators enter the lottery for Lafreniere, Nashville could venture into uncharted territory.

Over the club's 21 seasons, the Preds have never truly drafted and developed a superstar forward. They've been the standard-bearers of finding defensive gems, but have never produced a home-grown offensive superstar. Filip Forsberg's rise is the closest they've come, but the Predators acquired him through a trade, and he's still never topped 70 single-season points.

Drafting Lafreniere would also make the Preds' offense younger, as the majority of Nashville's current forwards are close to 30 years old.

(No. 7) Vancouver Canucks

2019-20 record: 36-27-6 (.565)
Last No. 1 pick: N/A

Elias Pettersson is the reigning Calder Trophy winner, and Quinn Hughes is arguably the favorite for this year's rookie of the year honors. Adding Lafreniere would give the Canucks a legitimate chance at a Calder Trophy three-peat - a feat that hasn't been accomplished since the Original Six era when the Toronto Maple Leafs did it from 1942-43 to 1944-45. Calling the trio "The Calder Core" or "The Calder Club" would have a pretty good ring to it.

Note: The Canucks traded their 2020 first-round pick to the Tampa Bay Lightning, who then flipped it to the New Jersey Devils. Vancouver will keep the pick and surrender a 2021 first-rounder instead if they miss the playoffs.

(No. 8) Calgary Flames

2019-20 record: 36-27-7
Last No. 1 pick: N/A

The Flames have been in the market for additional scorers for a while, and adding Lafreneire would be a dream scenario after the club took a major step backward offensively this past season.

As enticing as it would be to slot Lafreniere into a forward corps alongside Johnny Gaudreau, Matthew Tkachuk, Elias Lindholm, and Sean Monahan, the arrival of the QMJHL stud would create lineup headaches. Gaudreau, Tkachuk, and Lafreniere all play the left side, but rearranging some wingers is a small price to pay while adding the world's top prospect.

(No. 9) Winnipeg Jets

2019-20 record: 37-28-6 (.563)
Last No. 1 pick: N/A

The Jets have technically picked first overall before. Before moving to Winnipeg in 2011, the Atlanta Thrashers picked first overall twice, nabbing Ilya Kovalchuk in 2001, and Patrik Stefan in 1999. The original Jets also picked first overall once, drafting Dale Hawerchuk in 1981 before eventually relocating to Phoenix. The Jets 2.0 haven't been given the honor yet.

Lafreniere joining the Jets would create a bit of a logjam on the wings, with Blake Wheeler, Kyle Connor, Patrik Laine, and Nikolaj Ehlers already taking up top-six spots. There are a few ways Winnipeg getting the No. 1 pick could unfold:

1. The Jets draft for positional need and take center Quinton Byfield first overall to round out their top six.
2. Wheeler moves to center on a full-time basis, as he did for parts of the 2019-20 season.
3. The Jets draft Lafreniere, then trade Connor, Laine, or Ehlers for a defenseman or a center (Wheeler's contract features a no-movement clause).

The first scenario seems highly unlikely since Lafreniere is the consensus best player in the draft, and the second is less than ideal, leaving No. 3 as the most logical option. The Jets could fetch a great return for any of the three players, and there's still a gaping hole on their blue line after losing Jacob Trouba, Dustin Byfuglien, Tyler Myers, and Ben Chiarot over the past year.

(No. 10) Minnesota Wild

2019-20 record: 35-27-7 (.558)
Last No. 1 pick: N/A

Drafting Lafreniere would finally give the Wild something to build around. Minnesota is in the early stages of the Bill Guerin regime, and the team has been stuck between a full-scale rebuild or retooling on the fly for years.

After a spell of mediocrity, the Wild can't look back on playoff success, and they also still didn't get lottery picks to help build toward a better future. Lafreniere would instantly bring youthful energy to a veteran roster and be the centerpiece of whatever path Guerin has laid out for the franchise, which is in dire need of something to get excited about.

(No. 11) Arizona Coyotes

2019-20 record: 33-29-8 (.529)
Last No. 1 pick: N/A

Taylor Hall has played just five career playoff games. As a pending UFA, he probably wants to sign with a winning team. Would adding Lafreniere help convince Hall to stay in the desert? Maybe not, but Lafreniere being in the fold would give a team that defends exceptionally well but struggles to score a much-needed offensive dynamo.

Note: The Coyotes traded their 2020 first-round pick to the Devils, but it's top-three protected.

(No. 12) Chicago Blackhawks

2019-20 record: 32-30-8
Last No. 1 pick: Patrick Kane (2007)

The online outrage if the Blackhawks win the Lafreniere lottery following their 2010s dynasty would be intense. It's hard to imagine a better run of good fortune for a franchise than three Stanley Cups in six seasons, with a No. 1 pick coming just five years later. But there's a distinct possibility that happens for Chicago, a team heavily overmatched in its play-in series versus the Oilers.

Many fans would prefer to see Lafreniere land anywhere but the Windy City. But objectively, the youngster suiting up in an Original Six market and forming the next version of the Jonathan Toews-Patrick Kane duo with fellow lottery choice Kirby Dach is something we can get behind.

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The No. 1 overall pick of the 2020 NHL Draft is up for grabs, but Edmonton Oilers general manager Ken Holland has his sights completely set on winning in the playoffs.

"I don't think anybody's thinking of the No. 1 selection now," Holland said, according to the Edmonton Sun's Jim Matheson. "The eight losers will readjust after (the play-in). I want our team to make some noise, go on a playoff run."

Friday's draft lottery awarded the No. 1 selection in the 2020 NHL Draft to a placeholder team. The eight clubs that lose in the play-in round of the league's 24-team postseason will all have a 12.5% chance at securing the top pick in a second lottery at a later date.

The Oilers - who finished the abbreviated 2019-20 regular season in second place in the Pacific Division - are set to take on the Chicago Blackhawks in the best-of-five play-in round.

"Anytime you're playing hockey, you're playing to win … we want the Edmonton Oilers to be the last team standing, and if not, we want the playoff experience as far as we go," Holland said. "End of the day, only one play-in loser gets the No. 1 pick, the others are picking later.

"I look at this tournament as being relatively wide-open. Regular season ended about four months ago if we start in August. If a play-in team wins the Stanley Cup, they will have to have won five series - even more difficult than usual. But everybody's dream is to have your name on the Stanley Cup.

The Oilers have had their fair share of top picks over the last several years. They held the No. 1 selection in 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2015.

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Friday's draft lottery may not have gone as planned for the Detroit Red Wings, but general manager Steve Yzerman isn't fazed by the outcome.

"We're going to get a great prospect, and how good of a player he becomes, time will tell. So we can sit here today and feel sorry for ourselves if we want, it doesn't matter," Yzerman said Friday. "The system is what it is, and it's the same for all the teams. We're going to get a great prospect, we're going to do everything that we can to develop him, and maybe we will get lucky."

Detroit finished the abbreviated 2019-20 regular season with the worst record in the league and owned the best individual odds to win the top pick as a result. This year's lottery format was slightly altered, however, and included eight placeholder teams that will be determined by the results of the play-in round of the league's planned 24-team postseason.

After one of those placeholder teams won the first overall pick of the 2020 draft in Friday's lottery, each of the eight losing play-in clubs will have a 12.5% chance at winning the No. 1 pick in another draw.

Despite entering the lottery with high hopes, Yzerman said the math suggested a placeholder team would come away with the top pick.

"I'm not surprised. Again, we had an 18.5% chance of winning the first pick. So realistically, I'm prepared to be sitting here today not talking about the first pick," Yzerman said. "I'm not really surprised ... the eight playoff teams had a 24.5% chance combined of getting the pick, so the odds were better that the first pick went to the bottom eight than it did to us."

Yzerman then pointed to the Colorado Avalanche as a reason to be optimistic. Like the Red Wings, the Avalanche slid to No. 4 in 2017 despite owning the best individual odds to win the first overall selection. Colorado wound up using the No. 4 pick to select defenseman Cale Makar, who has quickly developed into a premier player.

Alexis Lafreniere is the consensus No. 1 pick heading into the 2020 NHL Draft, with forwards Quinton Byfield and Tim Stuetzle expected to follow. With the top three seemingly set, Yzerman and the Red Wings will face a tough choice with a talented pack of prospects available at No. 4.

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Friday's draft lottery may not have gone as planned for the Detroit Red Wings, but general manager Steve Yzerman isn't fazed by the outcome.

"We're going to get a great prospect, and how good of a player he becomes, time will tell. So we can sit here today and feel sorry for ourselves if we want, it doesn't matter," Yzerman said Friday. "The system is what it is, and it's the same for all the teams. We're going to get a great prospect, we're going to do everything that we can to develop him, and maybe we will get lucky."

Detroit finished the abbreviated 2019-20 regular season with the worst record in the league and owned the best individual odds to win the top pick as a result. This year's lottery format was slightly altered, however, and included eight placeholder teams that will be determined by the results of the play-in round of the league's planned 24-team postseason.

After one of those placeholder teams won the first overall pick of the 2020 draft in Friday's lottery, each of the eight losing play-in clubs will have a 12.5% chance at winning the No. 1 pick in another draw.

Despite entering the lottery with high hopes, Yzerman said the math suggested a placeholder team would come away with the top pick.

"I'm not surprised. Again, we had an 18.5% chance of winning the first pick. So realistically, I'm prepared to be sitting here today not talking about the first pick," Yzerman said. "I'm not really surprised ... the eight playoff teams had a 24.5% chance combined of getting the pick, so the odds were better that the first pick went to the bottom eight than it did to us."

Yzerman then pointed to the Colorado Avalanche as a reason to be optimistic. Like the Red Wings, the Avalanche slid to No. 4 in 2017 despite owning the best individual odds to win the first overall selection. Colorado wound up using the No. 4 pick to select defenseman Cale Makar, who has quickly developed into a premier player.

Alexis Lafreniere is the consensus No. 1 pick heading into the 2020 NHL Draft, with forwards Quinton Byfield and Tim Stuetzle expected to follow. With the top three seemingly set, Yzerman and the Red Wings will face a tough choice with a talented pack of prospects available at No. 4.

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Bill Daly won't say whether the spike in coronavirus cases in the United States has affected the NHL's decision-making process regarding where games will be played if the season resumes.

“Every relevant consideration will be fairly evaluated before decisions are made and announced," the league's deputy commissioner told TSN's Ryan Rishaug when asked if the rising virus numbers are causing the NHL to re-evaluate having an American hub city.

Chicago, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles are reportedly the three American locations among the five remaining candidates to host games. Edmonton and Toronto are the others.

Coronavirus cases have been surging in many U.S. states, with the country setting a new single-day national record on Friday with 45,942 cases, according to NBC News' Nicole Acevedo, Joe Murphy, and Josh Lederman. That number reportedly included more than 8,000 new cases in Florida, along with four-digit figures in Arizona, California, and Texas.

The NHL initially listed 10 potential hubs when the league unveiled its 24-team return-to-play plan in late May. Of those 10, seven were American locations, but Columbus, Dallas, Minneapolis-St. Paul, and Pittsburgh are no longer being considered.

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The NHL draft lottery was flipped upside down after a placeholder team won the right to the first overall pick. Each team that's eliminated from the upcoming play-in round will now own an equal 12.5% chance of drafting QMJHL phenom Alexis Lafreniere.

Let's take a look at what each Eastern Conference team stands to gain should it win the unprecedented draft lottery.

Eastern Conference l Western Conference (Sunday)

(No. 5) Pittsburgh Penguins

2019-20 record: 40-23-6 (.623)
Last No. 1 pick: Sidney Crosby (2005)

Drafting Lafreniere would extend Pittsburgh's Stanley Cup window. A potential star player making the league minimum would be huge for the cap-strapped Penguins. He'd be equally important after his three-year, entry-level deal expires, too. Crosby and Evgeni Malkin are still going strong at ages 32 and 33, respectively, but will eventually fall from the game's top tier. Lafreniere would ideally then be able to lead the offense, with Sid and Geno in supporting roles.

From an individual development standpoint, would there be a better place for Lafreniere to land than in Pittsburgh? He'd basically receive a master's degree in hockey from Crosby, who also happens to be a Rimouski Oceanic alumnus. The tutelage from Malkin and fellow French-Canadian Kris Letang wouldn’t hurt, either.

Note: The Penguins traded their 2020 first-round pick to the Minnesota Wild but can send their 2021 first-rounder if they miss the playoffs this year.

(No. 6) Carolina Hurricanes

2019-20 record: 38-25-5 (.596)
Last No. 1 pick: N/A

Adding Lafreniere to Carolina's young, dangerous core that already features Sebastian Aho, Teuvo Teravainen, and Andrei Svechnikov is a scary thought for the rest of the conference. The Hurricanes are perennially one of the league's top puck-possession teams and have built a rock-solid blue line to complement a forward corps recently bolstered by the arrival of Vincent Trocheck.

A loss in the play-in round would be immensely disappointing, but drafting Lafreniere would vault the Hurricanes into the upper echelon of Stanley Cup contenders.

Note: The Hurricanes traded a 2020 first-round pick to the New York Rangers but also own the Toronto Maple Leafs' 2020 first-rounder. The Rangers will receive the later of those two selections.

(No. 7) New York Islanders

2019-20 record: 35-23-10 (.588)
Last No. 1 pick: John Tavares (2009)

The addition of Lafreniere would give Mathew Barzal a much-needed running mate in the Islanders' lackluster attack. The two players are creative and skilled enough to form a lethal duo if placed on the same line. If head coach Barry Trotz opted to split them up, he'd have one dynamic playmaker on each of his top two lines. Lafreniere is already a solid checker, so he'd be a nice fit in Trotz's system.

The Isles already have a steady defensive foundation in place, but one more offensive game-changer could push them over the top.

Note: The Islanders traded their 2020 first-round pick to the Ottawa Senators, but it's top-three protected.

(No. 8) Toronto Maple Leafs

2019-20 record: 36-25-9 (.579)
Last No. 1 pick: Auston Matthews (2016)

The Maple Leafs missing out on the actual playoff bracket in a year they were expected to be among the conference's best would be a certifiable disaster for the organization, but winning the rights to draft Lafreniere would open up a world of possibilities for general manager Kyle Dubas (and create highly entertaining mass chaos in the online hockey world).

The slim chance of adding Lafreniere to one of the league's top attacks creates plenty of intrigue. With the salary cap reportedly remaining stagnant for up to three seasons, the Maple Leafs could desperately use some cheap fill-ins, and having Lafreniere's entry-level contract on the books would allow Dubas to trade a winger and free up some cap room to allocate elsewhere.

Note: The Maple Leafs traded their 2020 first-round pick to the Hurricanes, but it's top-10 protected.

(No. 9) Columbus Blue Jackets

2019-20 record: 33-22-15 (.579)
Last No. 1 pick: Rick Nash (2002)

The Blue Jackets winning the lottery would prove good karma does exist. General manager Jarmo Kekalainen went all-in at last year’s trade deadline, hanging on to pending UFAs Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky and trading for one of the biggest rentals available in Matt Duchene. It was a display of courage that is uncommon among NHL GMs. All three players left via free agency despite his best efforts, so the small-market decision-maker deserves to be rewarded with a young phenom.

(No. 10) Florida Panthers

2019-20 record: 35-26-8 (.565)
Last No. 1 pick: Aaron Ekblad (2014)

The Panthers were one of the league's biggest underachievers in 2019-20, and the unexpected chance to draft Lafreniere could be the jolt the club needs. There's no question that Florida already has one of the league's best offensive duos in Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau - a fellow superstar QMJHL graduate - but adding Lafreniere to the mix would give the Cats another weapon to help keep pace with their powerful Atlantic Division adversaries.

It would also provide GM Dale Tallon with some peace of mind entering the offseason. Key forwards Mike Hoffman and Evgeni Dadonov are unrestricted free agents, and rather than splurging to keep one, or both, in house, Tallon could spend that money on improving a thin D-corps while Lafreniere fills in up front.

(No. 11) New York Rangers

2019-20 record: 37-28-5 (.564)
Last No. 1 pick: Andre Veilleux (1965)

It was just two years ago that the Rangers announced they were entering a rebuild. Since then, GM Jeff Gorton has built an impressive young core, signing Artemi Panarin via free agency, trading for Jacob Trouba and Adam Fox, and drafting Kaapo Kakko second overall in 2019. He also re-signed Chris Kreider and lured star goalie Igor Shesterkin over from Russia. Meanwhile, Mika Zibanejad has blossomed into a true No. 1 center. Adding Lafreniere would give the Rangers some legitimate dynasty potential.

(No. 12) Montreal Canadiens

2019-20 record: 31-31-9 (.500)
Last No. 1 pick: Doug Wickenheiser (1980)

Just imagine the hysteria in Montreal if the Canadiens snagged their first No. 1 pick in 40 years and won the right to draft the Quebec-born Lafreniere in a year they were supposed to host the draft. Conspiracy theorists would be up in arms, but Lafreniere would instantly become the French-born superstar and face of the franchise that the rabid fan base has long desired.

Aside from the perfect fit publicity-wise, landing Lafreniere would be massive for the Canadiens' future on the ice, too. Montreal has 11 picks in the first five rounds of the 2020 draft, and Lafreniere leading the pack would go a long way in reinforcing the club's contention window for the remainder of the Carey Price-Shea Weber era.

(Draft pick info courtesy: CapFriendly)

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