The NHL's board of governors formally approved the league's requested changes to the draft lottery, TSN's Pierre LeBrun reports.
Key alterations include:
- The number of lottery draws is reduced from three to two, so the last-place team can't draft lower than third overall (starting 2021)
- Clubs can move up a maximum of 10 spots, so only 11 teams can win the No. 1 pick instead of 16 (starting 2022)
- No team can win the draft lottery more than twice over a five-year period (starting 2022)
NHL general managers reportedly requested in October that the league give teams lower in the standings higher odds to win the draft lottery.
Because the third change won't come into effect until 2022, previous lottery victories won't count toward a team's total.
The New York Rangers, who finished 18th in the league standings and participated in the 24-team playoff, ended up winning the 2020 draft lottery and landing No. 1 prospect Alexis Lafreniere. Meanwhile, the last-place Detroit Red Wings, who finished 40 points back of the Rangers, fell all the way to fourth. The first and second alterations will prevent this scenario from reoccurring.
Detroit isn't alone in its misfortune, as the last-place team has landed the top pick just twice since 2011. Three of the last four top selections have been won by a club with the 14th- (2020), third- (2019), and fifth- (2017) best odds.
The Edmonton Oilers drew the ire of opposing fan bases after picking first overall three years in a row (2010-12). They then won the lottery again in 2015 but finished last in the league in only two of those seasons.
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