Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) – The 2024 NHL Draft Lottery is set to take place Tuesday evening from New Jersey.
The Buffalo Sabres have a very slight chance of jumping into the top spot at 3.0%. Buffalo is currently sitting at 11th overall, and no team can jump up more than 10 places in the draft order.
With that being said, the Sabres will draft either first, second, 11th, 12th or 13th overall. The most likely scenario, though, is they stay in place with the 11th overall pick.
The odds for each NHL team in the draft lottery are (from fewest points to most):
1.) San Jose Sharks - 18.5%
2.) Chicago Blackhawks - 13.5%
3.) Anaheim Ducks - 11.5%
4.) Columbus Blue Jackets - 9.5%
5.) Montreal Canadiens - 8.5%
6.) Utah - 7.5%
7.) Ottawa Senators - 6.5%
8.) Seattle Kraken - 6.0%
9.) Calgary Flames - 5.0%
10.) New Jersey Devils - 3.5%
11.) Buffalo Sabres - 3.0%
12.) Philadelphia Flyers - 2.5%
13.) Minnesota Wild - 2.0%
14.) Pittsburgh Penguins* - 1.5%
15.) Detroit Red Wings - 0.5%
16.) St. Louis Blues - 0.5%
* - Pick is lottery protected, could become San Jose's pick if Pittsburgh does not win the lottery.
Buffalo has had the 11th overall pick five times in franchise history, taking:
- 2002: Keith Ballard - Defense
- 1992: David Cooper - Defense
- 1983: Adam Creighton - Center
- 1979: Mike Ramsey - Defense
- 1974: Lee Fogolin - Defense
The Sabres have had the 12th overall pick three times, taking:
- 2012: Mikhail Grigorenko - Center
- 2008: Tyler Myers - Defense
- 1973: Morris Titanic - Left wing
Meanwhile, Buffalo has had the 13th overall pick seven times, including last year's selection, taking:
- 2023: Zach Benson - Left wing
- 2009: Zack Kassian - Right wing
- 2005: Marek Zagrapan - Center
- 2004: Drew Stafford - Right wing
- 1991: Phillippe Boucher - Defense
- 1988: Joel Savage - Right wing
- 1978: Larry Playfair - Defense
Two players that should go very high in this year’s draft are center Macklin Celebrini from Boston University and defenseman Anton Silayev from Nizhny Novgorod of the KHL.
The 2024 NHL Draft starts with Round 1 on Friday, June 28, and continues with Rounds 2-7 on Saturday, June 29 in Las Vegas.
