Yes, I know that everyone's attention is on the Stanley Cup playoffs, but for the 16 other NHL fanbases who aren't watching the playoffs, their attention is on the entry draft.
Here's a breakdown of the draft lottery odds and looking at what prospects will be selected with the top five picks.
2024 NHL Draft Date & Time
The 2024 NHL draft will be hosted by the Nashville Predators from Bridgestone Arena. The first round will be on Wednesday, June 28 at 7 PM Eastern. Rounds two through seven will take place on the 29th at 11 AM ET.
2024 NHL Draft Lottery Odds
Today the NHL announced that the draft lottery will happen on May 7th at the NHL Network's studios in Jersey. The time of the draft lottery has not yet been decided. Obviously, the league is waiting to see how the playoff schedule pans out before committing to a time.
Odds as of March 21
Remember that only the first two picks in the draft can be won in the lottery. It's also important to note a team can only move up 10 spots if they're successful. That's why the Philadelphia Flyers, Minnesota Wild, Pittsburgh Penguins, Detroit Red Wings and St. Louis Blues don't have odds, even if they didn't make the playoffs. They can't win the first overall pick.
With a pathetic 19-54-9 record (47 points) the Sharks finished rock bottom in the league. Giving them an 18.5% chance of winning the first overall pick. Something they've never done before. They're one of only nine teams who've never won the honor.
2024 NHL Draft Teams Drafting In Top Five
Ok, we got the basic stuff and the lottery out of the way. Now it's time to look at what teams are drafting in the top five of the 2024 draft.
We can assume that the bottom five teams stay where they are and draft in that order. But that's not any fun. Let's get cute and run a draft simulator and go with what our very first try says.
Gladly, it was absolute chaos.
2024 NHL Mock Draft: Top 5
Ottawa Senators: Macklin Celebrini
Celebrini is the defacto number-one pick this year. BU's center set the NCAA on fire with 64 points in 38 games. He's not a generational talent, which is a relief honestly, we've had that tag tossed around too freely of late.
But Macklin's got all the tools to be a number-one center in the NHL. For a team like the Senators, that sounds great. But is it necessary?
They've already got Tim Stutzle who's proven to be a 90-point player. They've also got Josh Norris and Shane Pinto who are turning into great weapons down the middle. Adding Celebrini isn't too helpful.
Remember Ottawa wanted to be a playoff team this year and will likely have the same ambition next year. Why not trade the pick for something they can use like an elite winger? Or maybe even a goalie? Assuming one is available.
Anaheim Ducks: Ivan Demidov
There's no doubt this kid is going to be a star. The questions are; how big of a star can he be and how quickly does he land on North American shores?
The young Russian has been elite in his home country's version of the AHL (the Russian MHL) with two points per game and 1.65 per game in the playoffs.
Add him to the Ducks core of Leo Carlsson, Mason McTavish, Pavel Mintyukov and Owen Zellweger and Anaheim is set for years.
San Jose Sharks: Artyom Levshunov
With Levshunov the Sharks could very well be drafting a new version of Erik Karlson (sorta). The Belarussian was nearly a point-per-game player for an MSU side that ranked fourth but was bounced by the surprising Michigan Wolverines in the semifinals.
He's a right-shot transitional powerhouse that could be the linchpin of the Sharks' defense for years. He won't likely score 100 points from the blueline like Karlson, but he'll be a massive offensive weapon for San Jose.
Chicago Blackhawks: Sam Dickinson
There should be no worries if Chicago fans were hoping to get their hands on Levshunov. Sam Dickinson is a worthy consolation prize for them.
The London Knights product scored an impressive 70 points in 68 games during his sophomore OHL season. Just like Levshunov, Dickinson's ability to move the puck from the D-zone and into an attacking area is the key to his game and what makes him such a desirable asset.
He's exactly the type of player Chicago is looking to add as they build themselves back up.
Columbus Blue jackets: Cayden Lindstrom
Should the draft order stay the same (and not go all topsy-turvy like mine did), Montreal sits in this spot and takes Lindstrom. In a recent interview with MontrealHockeyNow, Lindstrom said he'd relish the pressure of playing in the hockey hotbed that is Montreal:
“I want to play in an environment like that. The pressure, the excitement and all that- it’s something I would definitely see myself succeeding in and it would be an honour to be drafted by them.” -Cayden Lindstrom
Now, obviously, Columbus isn't the same market as Montreal but it's still an NHL market that could use a guy like Lindstrom. He's big. He can skate. And he's confident. Not smug. But he knows his talents and what he brings to the table. What's not to like?