Though there is still a chance the 2020 NHL Draft is held in early June, that scenario is seeming more and more unlikely as the days go on.
On Friday night, the NHL sent a memo to each team in the league and included in it was a worst-case scenario which includes canceling the remainder of the 2019-20 season.
In that scenario, a big concern for NHL teams would be how the 2020 NHL Draft order is determined.
From Elliotte Friedman:
To make it as fair as possible, the league has suggested:
• Using each team’s points percentage to determine the Order of Selection. (That’s under the current playoff format, so 16 teams would be out of the lottery and 15 would be in.)
• Changing the lottery format this season only — picking just one winner, and limiting any move-up to a maximum of four spots.
• For conditional trades, the league would propose solutions. The teams would have seven days to either reform the deal on terms acceptable to both, or accept the NHL’s idea.
If the draft lottery proposal outlined in tonight's NHL memo becomes reality:
— Detroit would be guaranteed No. 1 or No. 2 overall
— Ottawa could do no worse than owning No. 3 AND No. 4
— New Jersey, Buffalo, Montreal and Chicago couldn't jump beyond No. 2/3/4/5, respectively https://t.co/tlP5zVthA4— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) May 2, 2020
As it currently stands, the Red Wings could pick anywhere from No. 1 to No. 4 in the draft, depending on what happens in the Draft Lottery.
