The NHL board of governors approved new rules for the NHL lottery draft that will help teams last, but will restrict perpetual losers from winning multiple lotteries, a source confirmed to ESPN on Tuesday.
The rules will be implemented starting with the 2022 lottery. TSN was the first to report approval.
The biggest change in the current system is that the lottery will determine only the first two choices in the draft, instead of having three different lotteries for the first three choices.
This change was influenced by the 2020 lottery, in which the Detroit Red Wings – which had the worst league history (17-49-5) and the best chances for the first overall choice (18.5%) – ended up choosing fourth place Overall like the New York Rangers, Los Angeles Kings and Ottawa Senators won the lotteries for the first three choices.
“There are some clubs that think it is important that the teams that are fighting the most have more help. There are other teams that think there is nothing wrong with the current system,” said NHL commissioner Gary Bettman recently. “Our competitive balance is so extraordinary that some clubs feel that the difference between a team that loses the playoffs and a team that really loses the playoffs is not so great. To try to reconcile these conflicting views, we think that maybe a little bit of adjustment [was necessary]. “
Another change in the lottery draw is that teams can only raise a maximum of 10 sports by winning one of the two lotteries. Therefore, only 11 of the 16 teams that missed the playoffs will be eligible for the first overall choice.
Finally, the NHL determined that a franchise cannot win the lottery more than twice in a five-year period. This is not exclusive to the general first choice: it means that a team cannot advance due to winning the lottery more than twice in a five-year period.
The Edmonton Oilers and New Jersey Devils were the poster franchises for this rule setting, having each won the lottery three times since 2010.
“I don’t believe there is tanking in the game. I think our players and our organizations, our coaches are very professional. But there is always speculation,” said Bettman recently.