Stock Up, Stock Down for NHL Lottery Teams After Draft Order Is Set
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It’s time to transform a franchise.
The 2024 edition of the NHL’s draft lottery came and went on Tuesday evening at a TV studio in northern New Jersey and the presumed No. 1 pick at the late June selection meeting in Las Vegas—reigning Hobey Baker Award winner Macklin Celebrini—is set to begin contacting realtors for a new home in northern California.
The San Jose Sharks suffered through their least successful season since 1995-96, winning just 19 times in 82 games to “capture” the No. 32 overall position five points clear of the next worst team, the Chicago Blackhawks. Chicago was a big lottery winner in 2023, jumping from third position to first to grab Connor Bedard.
San Jose’s was the logo flipped by deputy commissioner Bill Daly to make the top slot official just before 7 p.m. and the Sharks will be followed by the Blackhawks and Anaheim Ducks. In fact, all 16 slots will go according to reverse standings order, though the Sharks will also pick at No. 14 after acquiring that position from Pittsburgh in a trade for Erik Karlsson.
“I was thrilled. It’s a big moment for the organization and the fans here,” Sharks general manager Mike Grier said. “It was a tough year for us and to have this opportunity we couldn’t be more excited.”
The B/R hockey team went right to work in the aftermath to make Stock Up or Stock Down calls on selected lottery teams, based on Tuesday’s results and other pertinent factors.
Take a look at what we came up with and drop a thought of your own in the comments.
San Jose Sharks: Stock Up
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Pre-Lottery Position: 1 (25.5 percent chance to get first pick)
Post-Lottery Position: 1
The Sharks had nowhere to go but down in Tuesday’s lottery but their (slightly better than) one-in-four chance came through to give them a chance to select Celebrini, who’ll presumably become the first reigning Hobey Baker winner selected first overall.
It’s the first time in the No. 1 slot for the Sharks, who used a No. 2 pick to draft longtime stalwart Patrick Marleau in 1997 and were rewarded with 522 goals across 20-plus seasons.
“San Jose is an amazing organization,” said Celebrini, whose father has been employed by the NBA’s Golden State Warriors. “I lived there growing up. If I’m fortunate enough to get drafted there I’d be very lucky.”
Chicago Blackhawks: Stock Up
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Pre-Lottery Position: 2 (13.5 percent chance to get first pick)
Post-Lottery Position: 2
No team has had the No. 1 pick in consecutive years since the Florida Panthers in 2002 and 2003 so it’s no great shock that it didn’t happen again for the Blackhawks, though it would have been instantly cool to see Celebrini teamed with Bedard.
It’s still a win for GM Ky