How about a little intrigue with the 2020 NHL Mock Draft?
That’s what we’ll get now after this weekend’s NHL Draft Lottery resulted in a TBA team getting the No. 1 overall pick based on another draft lottery for the No. 1 overall selection following the qualifying round of the 24-team NHL tournament. It means one of the eight teams eliminated in the play-in round will get the No. 1 overall pick and 16 of the 24 teams involved in the Return to Play this summer have a chance at getting Quebecois winger Alexis Lafreniere.
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It's certainly a bitter pill for a Red Wings team that was by far the worst in the NHL this season, and “deserved” the No. 1 overall pick based on their play. It’s also a tough body blow for an Ottawa Senators team that had two picks in the lottery and the best odds to get the No. 1 pick, but instead settles for the third and fifth picks in the draft.
The Kings were also winners in the draft lottery shooting up to the second overall pick, but clearly there’s a team still alive in this unique Return to Play postseason that will get a talented player in Lafreniere coming their way. Can you imagine if the Montreal Canadiens somehow get the No. 1 pick and get a French-speaking Quebec kid superstar? That would be amazing. We’ll see how it all pans out in August.
Without further ado, here’s a look at our NHL mock draft 2.0: