The 2024 NHL Draft Lottery will take place on May 7th, the league announced this past Friday. The Detroit Red Wings, who haven't had any lottery luck in the past, will need a Hail Mary if they hope to climb up the pecking order. As it stands, the Detroit Red Wings can only improve their draft selection by ten spots; they currently control the 15th pick. Detroit only has a 0.5% chance of moving up, a 0.5% chance of picking at No. 16, and a 99% chance of staying put at No. 15.
The 2024 NHL Draft is set for June 28th and 29th in Las Vegas. The San Jose Sharks currently possess the best lottery odds, with an 18.5% chance of securing the No. 1 overall choice in 2024. Following the Sharks, the rest of the top five are rounded out as follows: Chicago ( 13.5%), Anaheim (11.5%), Columbus (9.5%), and Montreal (8.5%) chance of landing the first overall pick.
The prized player this season is center Macklin Celebrini. Celebrini is a Vancouver, British Columbia native who is coming off a spectacular freshman season with Boston University, where he won the Hobey Baker award. The Hobey Baker Award is given to the top college player in the United States. Celebrini recorded 32 goals and 64 points this past year over 38 games; he also skated to a plus-25 rating and amassed 18 penalty minutes. This production came on the heels of a massive season with the Chicago Steel of the USHL, where Celebrini notched 46 goals and 86 points in just 50 games, maintaining a plus-27 rating. At the World Juniors this past Winter, Celebrini totaled four goals and eight points for Team Canada in five games.
The Detroit Red Wings are likely stuck picking in the middle of the 2024 NHL Entry Level Draft
Steve Yzerman has made seven first-round draft selections in five years since taking over from Ken Holland. Needless to say, he's done a pretty good job at stockpiling young talent. The first-round choices have been Moritz Seider, Lucas Raymond, Simon Edvinsson, Sebastian Cossa, Marco Kasper, Axel Sandin Pellikka, and Nate Danielson.
It seems cliché to say, but looking at Yzerman's draft history, it's safe to say the Detroit Red Wings are in good hands with whoever he and his staff elect to choose with, wherever they are slotted to pick.