NHL draft lottery: Ducks drop to 3rd, Kings 8th; Buffalo Sabres get first pick
The Ducks will have the third pick in the NHL’s annual draft, a spot determined Wednesday by the league’s draft lottery.
They moved down from No. 2, based on their regular-season finish of 30th among the NHL’s 31 teams. They entered the draft lottery with a 12.1% chance of getting the first overall selection, behind only the Buffalo Sabres’ 16.6% chance of landing the No. 1 pick.
The Sabres have the first pick of the draft and the expansion Seattle Kraken the second. The Kings, who had a 5.8% chance to win the lottery, will draft eighth.
The draft lottery consisted of two drawings, one for the first overall pick and another for the second overall pick. The draft will be held virtually, with the first round to be conducted July 23 and rounds two through seven July 24.
This year’s draft is considered top-heavy on standout defensemen and short on scorers with the potential to become a franchise player.
Ducks general manager Bob Murray and coach Dallas Eakins will be back with the team for the 2021-22 season despite another disappointing season.
Owen Power, a Canadian-born defenseman who played for the University of Michigan last season, was the top North American skater in rankings compiled by the NHL’s Central Scouting Services. Power is an imposing 6-foot-5 and 211 pounds. He had three goals and 16 points in 26 games for Michigan last season.
“Owen Power is at the top of this draft class as he is the best at his position,” Dan Marr, the director of Central Scouting, told nhl.com. “His game presence displayed NHL skills and attributes, and his game continued to mature and impact throughout the season.”
NHL salary cap expert Jeff Solomon has left the Kings after 15 seasons to become the Ducks’ vice president of hockey operations and assistant general manager.
The second-ranked North American skater is center Mason McTavish of Peterborough of the Ontario Hockey League. He’s followed by Michigan center Kent Johnson, defenseman Luke Hughes of the U.S. National Team Development Team program, and right wing Dylan Guenther of Edmonton of the Western Hockey League.
The top-ranked European skater is 5-foot-10 left wing William Eklund of Djurgarden in the Swedish Hockey League.
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