NHL Draft Date for 2020 Set
The NHL announced on Friday, July 10th, that the 2020 NHL Draft is tentatively scheduled for October 9-10. All seven rounds of the draft will be taking place virtually online. The No. 1 selection for the 2020 NHL Draft will be determined on August 10th when the league commences Phase Two of the lottery.
Before the coronavirus pandemic, the draft was initially scheduled to take place in Montreal, Quebec between June 26-27. However, the league pushed back the 2020 draft on March 25 after postponing play two weeks earlier.
The ratification of the new CBA on July 6, which will expire after the 2025-26 season, set the timeline for this year’s modified season. As the NHL prepares for the 2020 Stanley Cup qualifiers, they now know how their performance will impact draft picks. Phase Four of the NHL’s Return to Play Plan, which commences competition between the 24 teams, is slated to begin on August 1st.
How Will the NHL Decide Draft Picks?
Phase One of the NHL Draft took place on June 26th. It included the seven teams that did not qualify for the postseason tournament and eight placeholder positions for eliminated qualifiers. The league determined picks based on the inverse order of point percentages from the regular season.
In addition, to determine the top three picks, a separate drawing was held; placeholder Team E received the top selection while the Los Angeles Kings will choose second. After trading Erik Karlsson to the San Jose Sharks before the 2018-19 season, the Ottawa Senators clinched the No. 3 pick. Based on the results of the first Phase, the NHL will select Team E from one of the eight eliminated teams from the qualifiers before the Stanley Cup Playoffs begin.
Moreover, many scouts expect forward Alexis Lafreniere will be the first pick of the draft. Leading the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with 112 points, the Canadian Hockey League named the left wing Player of the Year for the second consecutive season; Lafreniere is only the second player to receive the award twice.
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