The Montreal Canadiens have secured the fifth overall pick in the upcoming NHL draft, following the conclusion of the draft lottery on Wednesday night.
The Canadiens, who finished the regular season with a record of 24-21-11, had a 7.6% chance of obtaining the first overall pick. However, luck was not on their side as they ended up with the fifth pick.
This will be the first time since 2018 that the Canadiens will have a top-five pick in the draft. In that year, they selected Finnish center Jesperi Kotkaniemi with the third overall pick.
The draft lottery was conducted virtually due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, with representatives from all 15 teams that did not qualify for the playoffs in attendance.
The Buffalo Sabres, who had the worst record in the league this season, secured the first overall pick. The Seattle Kraken, who will be joining the NHL as an expansion team next season, will have the second overall pick.
The Anaheim Ducks and New Jersey Devils will have the third and fourth picks, respectively.
The draft is set to take place on July 23 and 24, with the first round being held on the 23rd and rounds two through seven on the 24th.
The Canadiens will have the opportunity to add a top prospect to their roster with the fifth overall pick, which could potentially help them improve upon their performance in the upcoming season.
Fans will have to wait and see who the Canadiens will select with their pick, but one thing is for sure – the team will be looking to make a strong addition to their lineup in hopes of making a deep playoff run next season.
