NHL Draft Lottery update: Picks 1-15 set for 2018 NHL Draft

TORONTO, ON - APRIL 28: NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly poses with Buffalo Sabres General Manager Jason Botterill after the Buffalo Sabres won the first overall pick during the NHL Draft Lottery at the CBC Studios on April 28, 2018 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Kevin Sousa/NHLI via Getty Images) /

After three tries, the Buffalo Sabres finally won the NHL Draft Lottery, giving them the chance to draft future star Rasmus Dahlin. But how did the rest of the draft lottery pan out?

The NHL experimented with a new format to this year’s lottery. They decided the first 12 picks, then made fans of the remaining three teams wait it out for a few hours. For one team, the wait was well worth it. Fans of the Carolina Hurricanes and Montreal Canadiens were not so lucky. The remaining 16 spots will be decided as teams are eliminated from the playoffs.

The Top Tier

1. Buffalo Sabres

2. Carolina Hurricanes

3. Montreal Canadiens

4. Ottawa Senators

5. Arizona Coyotes

The top five players of this year’s draft will all be special. The Buffalo Sabres will have a clear path to Rasmus Dahlin, the best defenseman in a draft loaded with talented blueliners. After he goes off the board the draft opens up and gets harder to predict. Andrei Svechnikov, Filip Zadina and Brady Tkachuk are the top forwards available and will all be suitable for this range.

The Second Wave

6. Detroit Red Wings

7. Vancouver Canucks

8. Chicago Blackhawks

9. New York Rangers

10. Edmonton Oilers

Moving into the next segment of the draft opens the door to the next waves of defensemen. Quinn Hughes, Adam Boqvist and Evan Bouchard will be available to help any team that needs to fill a need on defense. All three offer dynamic skating ability with great puck skills. Adding them to an organization’s pipeline will be a huge positive impact.

The Final Third

11. New York Islanders

12. New York Islanders (via Flames)

13. Dallas Stars

14. Philadelphia Flyers (via Blues)

15. Florida Panthers

Next: Buffalo Sabres win NHL Draft Lottery

Closing out the lottery picks are the final five picks. The New York Islanders have an opportunity to put together a great draft with back-to-back picks at 11 and 12. There will be a run on centers in this portion of the draft. Oliver Wahlstrom could slide back into this bracket and give a team a major offensive weapon. Barrett Hayton will be a solid addition to any team looking for a great two-way center that his just as gifted offensively as defensively in his own zone.

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