TMMOTS Presents :: The NHL Draft Lottery

The Draft’s Significance

Feb 28, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Colorado Avalanche center

(29) reacts to his second assist against the Phoenix Coyotes in the third period at the Pepsi Center. The Avalanche defeated the Coyotes 4-2. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Getting the ping pong balls to fall a certain team’s way can change the outlook of a franchise almost immediately. The Pittsburgh Penguins will tell you as much after winning the Mario Lemieux (1984) and Sidney Crosby (2005) sweepstakes, while the Washington Capitals also improved after drafting Alex Ovechkin.

The Chicago Blackhawks’ fortunes changed quickly after taking Patrick Kane first overall in 2007, as did those of the Tampa Bay Lightning after drafting Steven Stamkos first the following year.

More recently, Nathan MacKinnon helped propel the Colorado Avalanche to a surprise Central Division title, its first since 2002-03, after being the top draft choice last June.

Of course, for every Crosby, MacKinnon, Stamkos, and Tavares, there’s also a Patrik Stefan or Alexandre Daigle, so teams need to be careful with who they pick.

It’s also not a guarantee for an immediate turnaround. If you want proof, check with the Edmonton Oilers, who had the top pick every year from 2010 through 2012, selecting Taylor Hall, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Nail Yakupov in the process. However, they missed the playoffs for the eighth consecutive season, and they find themselves with the third-best odds of getting the top pick again this year.

While the Yak for Jack (Eichel) and Dishonour for Connor (McDavid) campaigns won’t officially start until after this draft concludes, this year’s class does feature some solid talent, so it shouldn’t be overlooked.

Top draft prospects for this June include Sam Reinhart of the Kootenay Ice, Aaron Ekblad of the Barrie Colts, and Sam Bennett of the Kingston Frontenacs, who was recently rated the top North American skater in the final Central Scouting Service rankings.

In particular, this year’s draft class features at least three players whose fathers played in the NHL. The biggest name in this group is Reinhart, whose father, Paul Reinhart, played 11 NHL seasons with the Atlanta/Calgary Flames and the Vancouver Canucks. In addition, Sam’s older brother, Max Reinhart, has played sparingly with the Calgary Flames the past two seasons, while a third brother, Griffin Reinhart, was taken fourth overall by the New York Islanders in 2012.

Other notable names in the group include Swedish prospect William Nylander, son of former NHL veteran Michael Nylander, and Finnish prospect Kasperi Kapanen, son of Sami Kapanen, a former Carolina Hurricane and Philadelphia Flyer.

Nylander and Kapanen also help lead a draft class strong in international flavour, with German forward Leon Draisaitl (Prince Albert Raiders, WHL), Danish forward Nikolaj Ehlers (Halifax Mooseheads, QMJHL), and Swiss forward Kevin Fiala (HV71, Swedish Hockey League) among the names looking to make a mark.

The first step for these prospects will happen later tonight, while most will also be following the playoffs to see where the other teams are drafting as they get eliminated.

Immediately after the lottery concludes, I’ll have analysis on what we’ve seen, along with potential landing spots for the next crop of top prospects, so keep it locked onto Too Many Men on the Site as we find out where the ping pong balls fall!