It has been 54 days since we last saw our Ottawa Senators.
They were in Los Angeles that night. Bobby Ryan and Jayce Hawryluk scored for Ottawa but third period goals by Gabe Vilardi and Martin Frk were the difference. A 3-2 Kings win (their 7th straight). The next day, the NHL went dark.
This week, we should find out just how long it will be before the lights get switched back on.
This weekend, there was a ton of speculation about the approach the league is considering. Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly circulated a memo to all 31 teams. In that memo, they made the case for an early-June draft.
You can read more of the details here but some key points…
-The Entry Draft would be held virtually on June 5th and June 6th.
-Points percentage would be used to determine the standings.
-The Draft Lottery would be held before that, likely under the old format.
-One lottery winner that could move up a maximum of four spots.
-Almost everyone hates this idea.
-The league doesn’t really care what everyone thinks and wants money.
Of course, not EVERYONE hates this concept.
In fact, outside of just handing Ottawa the top two picks because gosh darn it they’ve been through a lot lately, it’s hard to imagine a better situation for the Senators.
Not only would it give them a worst-case scenario of 3rd and 4th overall but it would also mean a damn good shot at landing 1st and 3rd.
In 2012, the Columbus Blue Jackets had a 48.2% chance at first overall. The second place Oilers had an 18.8% chance and the third place Canadiens came in at 14.2%. Of course it’s possible the league could tinker with the percentages a bit.
There’s an NHL Board of Governors meeting scheduled for today and while the draft scenario is on the agenda, there seems to be some uncertainty over whether the issue is actually up for a vote today.
Either way, we should have some clarity on the exact details in the next couple days.
For now, we’ll continue to dream of a scenario where the Ottawa Senators land the 1st and 3rd overall pick, another pick in early 20’s and then four more in the second round…all in one of the deepest drafts in league history.
Please.
