The NHL Board of Governors has approved new rules for the NHL draft lottery that will help teams from last place, but that eternal losers can no longer win lotteries, a source confirmed to ESPN on Tuesday.
The rules will be implemented from the lottery in 2022. TSN first reported the approval.
The biggest change to the current system is that the lottery will only determine the first two choices in the draft, rather than having three different lotteries for the first three choices.
This change was influenced by the lottery in 2020, in which Detroit chose Red Wings – which had the worst record in the league (17-49-5) and the best chance for the first overall pick (18.5%). fourth overall as the New York Rangers, Los Angeles Kings and Ottawa Senators won the lottery for the first three picks.
“There are some clubs that think it’s important that the teams that struggle the most get the most help. There are other teams that think there is nothing wrong with the current system at all,” said NHL Gary Bettman. Commissioner, said recently. “Our competitive balance is so extraordinary that some clubs feel that the difference between a team that misses the play-offs and a team that really misses the play-offs is not that great. To try to reconcile the competitive views, we thought.” a little adjustment [was necessary]. “
Another change in the draft lottery is that teams can only shoot up a maximum of ten sports by winning one of the two lotteries. Therefore, only 11 of the 16 teams that miss the playoffs will be eligible for the first overall pick.
In the end, the NHL decided that a franchise could not win the lottery more than twice in five years. This is not exclusive to the first overall pick: it means a team can not win more than twice in five years.
The Edmonton Oilers and New Jersey Devils were the poster franchises for this adaptation, and have each won the lottery three times since 2010.
“I do not believe there is tank in the game. I think our players and our organizations, our coaches are too professional. But there is always speculation,” Bettman said recently.