Latest Red Wings lottery odds released

So, you're saying there's a chance?

The Detroit Red Wings are once again on the outside looking in at the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and once their chances to qualify for the dance began dwindling away following a pair of back to back blowout losses to the Ottawa Senators combined with their selling off assets at the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline, the question on the minds of many a fan of Hockeytown was Detroit's positioning in the upcoming Draft. 

Of course, the main prize in this year's festivities is phenom forward Connor Bedard, who is looked at with the same pedigree that stars Auston Matthews, Jack Hughes, Patrick Kane, and other future franchise altering talents were looked at upon their entrance onto hockey's biggest stage. Having played in 57 games for the Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League, Bedard absolutely tore it up, registering 147 points. 

There truly has been no team that has gotten the short end of the stick when it comes to luck in the Draft Lottery than the Red Wings, who had to settle for the 4th overall pick in 2020 despite having been the worst team in the League by a wide margin. They've also not had the opportunity to draft any higher than 3rd overall since 1990. Needless to say, it's about time that they had some luck come their way.

As it currently stands, Detroit has the ninth best odds of landing the top overall selection. They're in 24th place out of the 32 NHL clubs, meaning that they have a 5% chance of landing the top pick, followed by a 5.4% chance at landing the 2nd overall selection. 

However, if the Red Wings lose tonight to Tampa Bay in their regular season finale combined with the Washington Capitals potentially defeating the New Jersey Devils, their chances of the first overall pick increase to 6%. 54.4% shot at drafting eighth. Meanwhile, if they were to advance up to 23rd overall, their chances at the top pick drop to 3.5%. 

Simply put, Detroit's chances of being able to select Bedard are extremely slim. But there's nothing wrong with dreaming a little bit, right?