DRAFT LOTTERY

Join the discussion about the Blues.

[Complete Blues coverage on STLtoday.com]

Moderators: STLtoday Forum Moderators, Blues Talk Moderators

dhsux
Forum User
Posts: 5275
Joined: 23 May 2024 17:18 pm

DRAFT LOTTERY

Post by dhsux »

I need some help here guys.

I'm trying to understand the rules and odds for the Blues and am running into some discrepancies or maybe it's just just confusion on my part.

I've seen the blues odds at #1 at 3% and 1.5%....which is it?

And I don't get why the Blues can't get the #2 slot in the second drawing.....I've seen it said here on this board that #5 is the best they can do in round 2?

Is not the second drawing dedicated to #2 for ALL teams left?

If anyone could clarify for this dummy I'd appreciate the real scoop for Tuesday night.
a smell of green grass
Forum User
Posts: 3671
Joined: 20 Aug 2024 15:51 pm

Re: DRAFT LOTTERY

Post by a smell of green grass »

dhsux wrote: 04 May 2026 08:11 am I need some help here guys.

I'm trying to understand the rules and odds for the Blues and am running into some discrepancies or maybe it's just just confusion on my part.

I've seen the blues odds at #1 at 3% and 1.5%....which is it?

And I don't get why the Blues can't get the #2 slot in the second drawing.....I've seen it said here on this board that #5 is the best they can do in round 2?

Is not the second drawing dedicated to #2 for ALL teams left?

If anyone could clarify for this dummy I'd appreciate the real scoop for Tuesday night.
What's the draft lottery? I'm from St. Louis, and have been here for 20 years, and I have no idea what draft lottery is. I certainly don't know how it works. You'll have to ask Colorado or Anaheim.
BalotelliMassive
Forum User
Posts: 1911
Joined: 24 May 2024 10:31 am

Re: DRAFT LOTTERY

Post by BalotelliMassive »

Per the rules, a team can only move up a maximum of 10 spots. So, only the top 11 teams can win the first overall pick. If a team ranked 12-16 wins either drawing, they would move up 10 spots, and the lowest-seeded team remaining would slot into that pick. So, if the Columbus Blue Jackets win the second drawing, they will move up to fourth overall, and the Blackhawks will keep the second overall pick, assuming they haven’t won the first drawing.

The odds for winning the first-overall pick are as follows:
Vancouver Canucks – 25.5%
Chicago Blackhawks – 13.5%
New York Rangers – 11.5%
Calgary Flames – 9.5%
Toronto Maple Leafs – 8.5%
Seattle Kraken – 7.5%
Winnipeg Jets – 6.5%
Florida Panthers – 6.0%
San Jose Sharks – 5.0%
Nashville Predators – 3.5%
St. Louis Blues – 3.0%
a smell of green grass
Forum User
Posts: 3671
Joined: 20 Aug 2024 15:51 pm

Re: DRAFT LOTTERY

Post by a smell of green grass »

Here is how it works...

The rules for the draft lottery

The draft lottery was introduced in 1995 and has undergone changes over the years. The current system has been in place since 2021, with tweaks made in 2022.

It will be conducted in two phases, with one drawing to determine the No. 1 pick and another to determine the No. 2 pick. The number of spots that a club can climb is 10, so the top 11 seeds will be eligible to receive the No. 1 pick and Nos. 12 through 16 can only jump as high as Nos. 2 through 6.

Each team is assigned a set of four-number combinations, using numbers 1 through 14. There are 1,000 total combinations, and they are distributed based on where teams finish in the standings. Four numbers are selected at random from a lottery machine to determine the No. 1 pick, then the process is repeated for the second pick.
bluetunehead
Forum User
Posts: 1869
Joined: 23 May 2024 14:28 pm

Re: DRAFT LOTTERY

Post by bluetunehead »

dhsux wrote: 04 May 2026 08:11 am I need some help here guys.

I'm trying to understand the rules and odds for the Blues and am running into some discrepancies or maybe it's just just confusion on my part.

I've seen the blues odds at #1 at 3% and 1.5%....which is it?

And I don't get why the Blues can't get the #2 slot in the second drawing.....I've seen it said here on this board that #5 is the best they can do in round 2?

Is not the second drawing dedicated to #2 for ALL teams left?

If anyone could clarify for this dummy I'd appreciate the real scoop for Tuesday night.
If our Detroit pick (currently #15) is chosen in the lottery then it can only move up to #5, as moving up 10 spots is the limit. If our own pick (currently #11) is chosen then it can move up to #1.

The odds of our own pick getting chosen in the lottery are about 3%. The odds of the Detroit pick getting chosen are about 1%.
MrPostman01
Forum User
Posts: 976
Joined: 23 May 2024 14:55 pm

Re: DRAFT LOTTERY

Post by MrPostman01 »

bluetunehead wrote: 04 May 2026 08:34 am
dhsux wrote: 04 May 2026 08:11 am I need some help here guys.

I'm trying to understand the rules and odds for the Blues and am running into some discrepancies or maybe it's just just confusion on my part.

I've seen the blues odds at #1 at 3% and 1.5%....which is it?

And I don't get why the Blues can't get the #2 slot in the second drawing.....I've seen it said here on this board that #5 is the best they can do in round 2?

Is not the second drawing dedicated to #2 for ALL teams left?

If anyone could clarify for this dummy I'd appreciate the real scoop for Tuesday night.
If our Detroit pick (currently #15) is chosen in the lottery then it can only move up to #5, as moving up 10 spots is the limit. If our own pick (currently #11) is chosen then it can move up to #1.

The odds of our own pick getting chosen in the lottery are about 3%. The odds of the Detroit pick getting chosen are about 1%.
We could move up to #5 with the Detroit pick and #2 with our pick. We would still get our man at 2! (I can dream a little while more)
bluetunehead
Forum User
Posts: 1869
Joined: 23 May 2024 14:28 pm

Re: DRAFT LOTTERY

Post by bluetunehead »

Odds Chart from Tankathon:

Image
bluetunehead
Forum User
Posts: 1869
Joined: 23 May 2024 14:28 pm

Re: DRAFT LOTTERY

Post by bluetunehead »

MrPostman01 wrote: 04 May 2026 08:38 am
bluetunehead wrote: 04 May 2026 08:34 am
dhsux wrote: 04 May 2026 08:11 am I need some help here guys.

I'm trying to understand the rules and odds for the Blues and am running into some discrepancies or maybe it's just just confusion on my part.

I've seen the blues odds at #1 at 3% and 1.5%....which is it?

And I don't get why the Blues can't get the #2 slot in the second drawing.....I've seen it said here on this board that #5 is the best they can do in round 2?

Is not the second drawing dedicated to #2 for ALL teams left?

If anyone could clarify for this dummy I'd appreciate the real scoop for Tuesday night.
If our Detroit pick (currently #15) is chosen in the lottery then it can only move up to #5, as moving up 10 spots is the limit. If our own pick (currently #11) is chosen then it can move up to #1.

The odds of our own pick getting chosen in the lottery are about 3%. The odds of the Detroit pick getting chosen are about 1%.
We could move up to #5 with the Detroit pick and #2 with our pick. We would still get our man at 2! (I can dream a little while more)
Yeah depending on which other team wins then our pick could move up to #1 or #2. Best case scenario would be we end up at #1 and #5, however extremely unlikely that is.

Edit: Actually thinking about it #2 and #5 isn’t possible. Both picks would move up 10 spots, so it would be #1 and #5.
aslord
Forum User
Posts: 670
Joined: 24 May 2024 11:01 am

Re: DRAFT LOTTERY

Post by aslord »

sigh.

If the Blues win the first pick lottery we get first pick.
If Detroit wins the first pick lottery we get 5th pick, but the Blues pick drops to 12

If the Blues win the second pick lottery we get 2nd pick
If Detroit wins the second pick lottery we get 5th pick, but the Blues pick drops to 12

If the Blues win first pick lottery and Detroit wins the 2nd pick lottery, We get 1st and 5th
If the Blues win second pick lottery and Detroit wins first pick lottery, We get 2nd and 5th
bluetunehead
Forum User
Posts: 1869
Joined: 23 May 2024 14:28 pm

Re: DRAFT LOTTERY

Post by bluetunehead »

aslord wrote: 04 May 2026 08:56 am sigh.

If the Blues win the first pick lottery we get first pick.
If Detroit wins the first pick lottery we get 5th pick, but the Blues pick drops to 12

If the Blues win the second pick lottery we get 2nd pick
If Detroit wins the second pick lottery we get 5th pick, but the Blues pick drops to 12

If the Blues win first pick lottery and Detroit wins the 2nd pick lottery, We get 1st and 5th
If the Blues win second pick lottery and Detroit wins first pick lottery, We get 2nd and 5th
Ah yeah you’re right I was thinking both picks could move you up 10.
DawgDad
Forum User
Posts: 9399
Joined: 16 May 2019 10:58 am

Re: DRAFT LOTTERY

Post by DawgDad »

aslord wrote: 04 May 2026 08:56 am sigh.

If the Blues win the first pick lottery we get first pick.
If Detroit wins the first pick lottery we get 5th pick, but the Blues pick drops to 12

If the Blues win the second pick lottery we get 2nd pick
If Detroit wins the second pick lottery we get 5th pick, but the Blues pick drops to 12

If the Blues win first pick lottery and Detroit wins the 2nd pick lottery, We get 1st and 5th
If the Blues win second pick lottery and Detroit wins first pick lottery, We get 2nd and 5th
LOL, imagining the nuclear explosion that would occur if the Blues or Detroit win one of the draws!
steve li
Forum User
Posts: 203
Joined: 24 May 2024 16:54 pm

Re: DRAFT LOTTERY

Post by steve li »

DawgDad wrote: 04 May 2026 09:04 am
aslord wrote: 04 May 2026 08:56 am sigh.

If the Blues win the first pick lottery we get first pick.
If Detroit wins the first pick lottery we get 5th pick, but the Blues pick drops to 12

If the Blues win the second pick lottery we get 2nd pick
If Detroit wins the second pick lottery we get 5th pick, but the Blues pick drops to 12

If the Blues win first pick lottery and Detroit wins the 2nd pick lottery, We get 1st and 5th
If the Blues win second pick lottery and Detroit wins first pick lottery, We get 2nd and 5th
LOL, imagining the nuclear explosion that would occur if the Blues or Detroit win one of the draws!
Or both!
kimzey59
Forum User
Posts: 1190
Joined: 23 May 2024 13:01 pm

Re: DRAFT LOTTERY

Post by kimzey59 »

dhsux wrote: 04 May 2026 08:11 am I need some help here guys.

I'm trying to understand the rules and odds for the Blues and am running into some discrepancies or maybe it's just just confusion on my part.

I've seen the blues odds at #1 at 3% and 1.5%....which is it?

And I don't get why the Blues can't get the #2 slot in the second drawing.....I've seen it said here on this board that #5 is the best they can do in round 2?

Is not the second drawing dedicated to #2 for ALL teams left?

If anyone could clarify for this dummy I'd appreciate the real scoop for Tuesday night.

1- The Blues own our own first rounder(#11 pre-lottery) plus Detroit's 1st rounder(#15 pre-lottery).

2- The lottery drawing itself is not a single draw process.
Fourteen balls, numbered 1 to 14, are placed in a lottery machine. The machine randomly expels four balls. The resulting four-number series (without regard to selection order) is matched against a chart that shows all possible combinations and the clubs to which each was assigned.
There are 1000 total possible winning combinations.
The Blues pick will have 30 possible winning combinations.
The Wing's pick will have 5 possible winning combinations.

3- The team that wins the first Drawing moves up 10 spots.
Mathematically, only the top 11 teams are eligible to get the 1st overall pick.

4- There is a "soft" re-seeding after the first drawing.
The First winner is locked into their new place(if the #12 team wins, they get the #2 pick regardless of who wins the 2nd drawing).
IF that winner is one of the 12-16 teams, the 1st overall pick is locked in for the worst team(Vancouver) also.
IF the first winner moves into the #1 spot, the worst team has to take part in the second drawing.


https://www.tankathon.com/nhl/pick_odds
The tankathon chart boils it down pretty well. Just remember that we own our own pick AND Detroit's pick(thank you Justin Faulk).

We'll discuss the Colorado pick(thank you Brayden Schenn) if/when they get eliminated.
zoiks
Forum User
Posts: 485
Joined: 11 Oct 2022 03:40 am

Re: DRAFT LOTTERY

Post by zoiks »

I hope the Blues' representative during the draft lotto drawing has Jobu with them.
kimzey59
Forum User
Posts: 1190
Joined: 23 May 2024 13:01 pm

Re: DRAFT LOTTERY

Post by kimzey59 »

zoiks wrote: 04 May 2026 09:27 am I hope the Blues' representative during the draft lotto drawing has Jobu with them.
Jobu never did jack for anyone.
We'll have to do it ourself.

Hopefully Army has one last Sith Lord moment in him.
callitwhatyouwant
Forum User
Posts: 4655
Joined: 12 Jan 2019 20:05 pm

Re: DRAFT LOTTERY

Post by callitwhatyouwant »

kimzey59 wrote: 04 May 2026 09:36 am
zoiks wrote: 04 May 2026 09:27 am I hope the Blues' representative during the draft lotto drawing has Jobu with them.
Jobu never did jack for anyone.
We'll have to do it ourself.

Hopefully Army has one last Sith Lord moment in him.
i definitely think it would be funny to stick it to the hawks 1 last time. Hopefully army has some last good trick up his sleeve to do so.