Devils win Draft Lottery for the Second Time in Three Years

It is official; all of the pain and suffering was worth it. The hockey gods have smiled down on the Garden State once again.  For the second time in three years, the New Jersey Devils will be picking first overall after winning the NHL Draft Lottery Tuesday night.

Heading into the lottery, New Jersey had an 11.5 percent chance of winning the top pick. Only the Colorado Avalanche (via a 2017 trade with Ottawa) and the Los Angeles Kings held better odds. New Jersey beat the odds.

This is a major step in the right direction for a franchise that has had a losing culture since the cup run in 2012. Although last season saw mild success, this year’s regression was expected. Now, with the chance to draft a generational superstar, New Jersey is set for the tide to turn once again.

Who general manager Ray Shero picks remains to be seen. Whether it’s Jack Hughes or Kaapo Kakko, the Devils will be receiving an elite prospect that has the opportunity to change the course of this historic franchise.

Shero and superstar forward Taylor Hall, among others, have made it clear that this team needs to add more talent following this seasons results. They could not have asked for a better outcome to help jump-start their offseason.

The order of selection for the first 15 picks in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft:

1. New Jersey Devils
2. New York Rangers
3. Chicago Blackhawks
4. Colorado Avalanche (via Ottawa)
5. Los Angeles Kings
6. Detroit Red Wings
7. Buffalo Sabres
8. Edmonton Oilers
9. Anaheim Ducks
10. Vancouver Canucks
11. Philadelphia Flyers
12. Minnesota Wild
13. Florida Panthers
14. Arizona Coyotes
15. Montreal Canadiens

The 2019 NHL Entry Draft will be held on June 21-22, 2019 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver.

PSA #1: A quick shout out to Mr. Lottery himself, Taylor Hall. For the fifth time in nine seasons his team has won the draft lottery. Have no fear, Devils fans! Know that whenever they miss the playoffs, they are practically guaranteed a top-three pick.

PSA #2: When you get a chance Devils fans, send Travis Zajac a gift basket. If Zajac did not score the OT winner against the Panthers in the season finale, New Jersey would have finished 30th. Yes, the odds looked much better at the time but, I prefer picking first instead of fifth.

It is going to be a very fun summer for the Devils and their fan base.

Stay tuned!