The interviews with playoff-missing GMs are going to be incredible if more than one play-in team wins a lottery spot. GMs will have to wish their direct professional rivals—the people who built the teams that most often embarrassed their team during the season (unless you’re the Red Wings looking at the Canadiens)—success in the postseason. It’ll be exquisite.
We’ll have a breakdown of what the lottery means to the Predators once we know, uh, how the lottery shakes out. If one or more lotto spots are teams that missed the play-in round and the play-in round actually happens, then there will be another lottery (#ratings). If all three lotto spots go to one of the seven teams that isn’t eligible for the play-in round and the play-in round actually happens, then “how does this affect the Preds?” is “minimally.” Without the play-in round, the Predators will not have a lottery spot, so there’s no specific pick letter for us to keep an eye on.
Unfortunately, the eight play-in picks are not selected by series, so there is no connection between the Taylor-Hall–having Arizona Coyotes and the draft pick the Predators will get if they lose their series with the Coyotes.
The draft lottery reveal starts at 7PM Central and will be airing on NBCSN and NHL Network.