In what’s been a very strange year that’s included an emergency goalie winning an NHL game, followed by the league shutting down due to a global pandemic, the Carolina Hurricanes, who ranked ninth in the league in points percentage this season, now have a shot at the first-overall pick.
I wouldn’t get my hopes up and of course, that also means the Hurricanes don’t make the 16-team playoffs, which certainly isn’t the ideal outcome for this season, but somebody’s going to win that pick and there's always a chance it could be the Hurricanes.
Given that the Rangers will get Carolina’s later first-round pick, the scenarios for the Hurricanes are:
1. Hurricanes lose in the qualifying round, win the first-overall pick, give Toronto’s pick to New York.
2. Leafs lose in the qualifying round and get the first-overall pick, the Hurricanes give their own first-round pick to New York and are left without a first-round pick this year, receiving Toronto’s 2021 first-round pick instead.
3. Neither team wins the first-overall pick and Carolina gives the later pick (their own) to New York.
So to clarify for anyone who may still be a bit confused (which is fair), the Rangers can’t beat Carolina, then get the first-overall pick after Carolina wins the lottery. The only way New York gets the first-overall pick is if they lose to the Hurricanes and win the lottery on their own.
Let’s just hope the Hurricanes win their series against the Rangers and don’t really have to worry about the lottery though. Carolina has a great team and could make another deep playoff run this season. It would be unfortunate if Toronto ended up getting the first-overall pick (though I’d almost like to see the internet react to it?), as it would mean the Hurricanes don’t have a 2020 first-round pick. This draft is deeper than next year’s draft, so the preference is certainly to have a good pick this year.
But for now, the focus should remain on getting through the qualifying round.
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Here’s today’s poll question (results and discussion will be posted in a future article):
Carolina Hurricanes Blogger • 
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