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NHL draft lottery tracker: Sharks retain best odds after loss to Blackhawks
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- NHL draft lottery tracker: Sharks retain best odds after loss to Blackhawks
The San Jose Sharks have never won a draft lottery and the Chicago Blackhawks won last year.
After the Blackhawks rallied to beat the Sharks on Sunday, San Jose held onto the best draft lottery odds. The last-place Sharks trail 31st-place Chicago by four points.
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The Anaheim Ducks , who beat the Blackhawks on Thursday are third to last, and the Columbus Blue Jackets and Ottawa Senators round out the bottom five.
The Ducks, Blue Jackets, Blackhawks and Sharks were the bottom four teams last season. The Blackhawks won the lottery and drafted Connor Bedard and the Ducks ( Leo Carlsson ) won the second pick.
NHL Central Scouting named Boston University center Macklin Celebrini as the top North American prospect in its midseason rankings. He was named one of the 10 finalists for the Hobey Baker Award as men's college hockey's top player.
Teams can move up a maximum of 10 spots in the lottery so only the bottom 11 teams have a chance to gain the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NHL draft.
Macklin Celebrini is the top North American prospect in NHL Central Scouting's midseason rankings.
Which NHL teams have the best draft lottery odds (this file will be updated during the season)?
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Which NHL teams have the best draft lottery odds?
Odds in parentheses. Standings as of March 17, based on winning percentage.
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San Jose Sharks (25.5%):69 GP, 39 pts., .283 winning percentage
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Chicago Blackhawks (13.5%):70 GP, 43, .307
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Anaheim Ducks (11.5%):70 GP, 51, .364
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Columbus Blue Jackets (9.5%): 69 GP, 58, .420
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Ottawa Senators (8.5%):68 GP, 60, .441
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Arizona Coyotes (7.5%):69 GP, 61, .442
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Montreal Canadiens (6.5%):69 GP, 62, .449
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Buffalo Sabres (6.0%):71 GP, 71, .500
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Seattle Kraken (5.0%):68 GP, 68, .500
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Pittsburgh Penguins (3.5%):68 GP, 69, .507
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New Jersey Devils (3.0%):70 GP, 72, .514
Who is Macklin Celebrini?
The 6-0, 190 center is the top scorer for Boston University as a 17-year-old freshman and leads the NCAA in points per game and is second in goals per game with 30 goals and 55 points in 33 games. He was Canada's leading scorer at the world junior championship with eight points in five games.
Central Scouting says Celebrini plays a complete game and is a strong skater with a fluid stride and top-end NHL speed.
"Macklin plays at a level all his own and it's truly impressive to see how he thrives in every environment he competes in," said Dan Marr, vice president of NHL Central Scouting.
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Who are the top prospects in the 2024 NHL draft?
Behind Celebrini, the remaining top five North American skaters are:
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Michigan State defenseman Artyom Levshunov
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Medicine Hat center Cayden Lindstrom
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University of Denver defenseman Zeev Buium
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Tri-City (USHL) left wing Trevor Connelly
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The top three international skaters are Finnish center Konsta Helenius and two Russians, 6-7 defenseman Anton Silayev and right wing Ivan Demidov.
How does the draft lottery work?
There are two drawings, first for a chance at the top pick and then for a chance at the second pick. The last-place team can draft no lower than third overall. Beginning with the 2022 lottery, a team cannot win more than twice in a five-year period. There are 14 ping pong balls in the machine and each team is assigned a series of four numbers. The lower a team is in the standings, the more series of numbers it gets. If a team's numbers are chosen, it wins the lottery. If a team in the 12 to 16 range wins, the last-place team retains the No. 1 overall pick.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NHL draft lottery tracker: Who has best odds for Macklin Celebrini?
