The NHL held a rather odd Draft Lottery yesterday where it sees The Los Angeles Kings getting the #2 overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft.
finally something good happens
The future is bright. Be there when hockey returns → https://t.co/HFPr8qFgtl #GoKingsGo | @Manscaped
— LA Kings (@LAKings) June 27, 2020
The Kings were moved up from 4th overall to 2nd which is quite a jump since L.A. had less than a 10% chance of earning the second selection through the lottery. They were also less than 1-in-3 to select in the Top 3.
Surprise! All math aside, Kings get the high pick, and a chance to draft a player is who already NHL ready.
The odd thing about this draft was who got the #1 pick. No one. Yeah, weird right? So here’s the draft order as of now:
1. Mystery Team
2. LA Kings
3. Ottawa Senators
4. Detroit Red Wings
5. Ottawa Senators
6. Anaheim Ducks
7. New Jersey Devils
8. Buffalo Sabres
Picks 9-15 will be determined in Phase 2 of the Draft that still has yet to be set on a date and will be from the losing teams of the play-in round. Picks 16-31 will be determined from the results of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
It has been reported that the #1 overall pick will be the team that loses in the qualifying round in the league’s Return To Play Plan. So it’s anyone’s guess who that will be.
Kings General Manager Rob Blake noted that this draft class is “forward ready” but there were a few defensemen who would be in contention at the #2 pick as well.
The date of the draft is anyone’s guess really. The NHL will soon announce it when the time is right. For now, it’s a big win for the Kings as they hold that #2 pick. GM Rob Blake should be having a fun time choosing.
