What Predators Fans Need To Know About 2023 NHL Draft Lottery

Though David Poile will technically still be the Nashville Predators general manager through the end of the 2023 NFL Draft, this year marks the first time in franchise history that it won’t be Poile alone who has the final say over draft picks.

It also marks the first time Barry Trotz will oversee a draft as a GM and not a head coach.

Before the Predators hold their pre-draft media availability with assistant GM/director of scouting Jeff Kealty and chief amateur scout Tom Nolan May 10, the team will find out where it’s picking in the first round on May 8 during the 2023 NHL draft lottery from the NHL Network studio in Secaucus, New Jersey (8 p.m. ET/ESPN). The event can be live streamed here.

Below is everything Predators fans need to know about the draft lottery:

How the draft lottery works

The team with the fewest points at the end of the regular season has the best odds of getting the top pick (18.5 percent) with gradually decreasing odds for the remaining 15 teams that didn’t qualify for the postseason.

There will be two lotteries; one to determine the No. 1 pick and a second to determine the No. 2 pick. Teams can only move up a maximum of 10 spots per drawing, and only the bottom 11 teams are eligible to win the top pick.

So, if a team ranked 12 through 16 wins the lottery (Senators, Sabres, Penguins, Predators, Flames), the Anaheim Ducks will be given the No. 1 pick. After the top two picks are decided, the remaining 14 teams will be assigned draft slots in inverse order according to the regular-season standings.

What it means for the Predators

The Predators have a 0.5 percent chance of winning the lottery, and the highest they could possibly pick is fifth overall.

Per Tankathon, the Predators have a 97.9 percent chance of drafting 15th, a 1.1 percent chance of drafting fifth, a 1.1 percent chance of drafting 16th, and a less than 1 percent chance of drafting seventh. Those scenarios are below.

The Predators will draft No. 5 overall if…they win the first lottery, or a team ranked 1-14 wins the first lottery and they win the second lottery.

The Predators will draft No. 7 overall if…the Flames win the first lottery and the Predators win the second lottery.

The Predators will draft No. 15 overall if…neither they nor the Flames win either lottery.

The Predators will draft No. 16 overall if…they don’t win either lottery and the Flames win one.

Predators’ 2023 Draft picks:

Round 1 (2)

Round 2 (2)

Round 3 (3)

Round 4 (3)

Round 5 (2)

Round 6 (1)

Follow Michael Gallagher on Twitter @MGsports_