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New Jersey Devils: Thinking About 2020 Draft Lottery

ByVincent Parise|
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA - JUNE 21: (L-R) Kaapo Kakko, second overall pick by the New York Rangers, Jack Hughes, first overall pick by the New Jersey Devils, and Kirby Dach, third overall pick by the Chicago Blackhawks hold up their fingers of their pick order in front of the stage during the first round of the 2019 NHL Draft at Rogers Arena on June 21, 2019 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA - JUNE 21: (L-R) Kaapo Kakko, second overall pick by the New York Rangers, Jack Hughes, first overall pick by the New Jersey Devils, and Kirby Dach, third overall pick by the Chicago Blackhawks hold up their fingers of their pick order in front of the stage during the first round of the 2019 NHL Draft at Rogers Arena on June 21, 2019 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

The NHL Draft Lottery is sneaking up quickly on the New Jersey Devils.

The modern-day New Jersey Devils know a little bit about the NHL Draft Lottery. It is something to be excited about but not necessarily something to be proud of. Of course, Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes are future stars, but winning the lottery multiple times means you’re a bad hockey team. With that said, them winning these lotteries could really help them mold into a great team over the coming seasons. It takes time, but it is going to happen.

One way to accelerate it even more would be to have some more lottery luck one more time. They are going to participate in it once again as they are not one of the 24 teams returning to play in the playoffs. They will participate in phase one of the lottery with the Detroit Red Wings, Ottawa Senators, Los Angeles Kings, Anaheim Ducks, and Buffalo Sabres. The Senators have two chances as they hold the San Jose Sharks pick unprotected pick from the Erik Karlsson trade.

Of course, by now you have heard of Alexis Lafreniere. He is going to be the number-one overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft no matter who wins the lottery. He is a very good young winger that might be able to drive a line right when he makes it to the NHL. Lafreniere is one of the few players in the draft that is going to step into the league right away and likely be very good.

The Devils don’t have the odds on their side if you look at the chances that they win the lottery three times in four years. The results of the past have absolutely no effect on this year’s edition of the drawing. They have the sixth-best odds as the number-one pick and last year means nothing.

There is also going to be a drawing for picks two and three as well. While winning the first pick would be the best-case scenario for New Jersey, winning one of those two other picks would be awesome as well. They would be getting one of Tim Stutzle or Quinton Byfield and both of them are going to be great NHL players one day too.

The event is creeping up on us as the lottery balls will be drawn on June 26th, which is ten days from today. It is going to be an exciting and nervewracking day for fans of the six teams that have a chance to win.

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