NHL Announces That 2024 NHL Draft Lottery Will Be Held On May 7th

The NHL announced today that the 2024 NHL Lottery will be held on Tuesday, May 7th. 

The NHL Draft Lottery will decide the selection order for the first 16 picks in the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft. 

How does this affect the Columbus Blue Jackets? The CBJ finished with the fourth-best odds to land the top overall pick at 9.5%. As a reminder, the Jackets had a 13.5% to land the top pick last year and fell back to the third position. In a stroke of luck, the Anaheim Ducks chose Leo Carlsson at number two, which caused Adam Fantilli to fall to them at three. 

San Jose, Chicago, and Anaheim hold the top odds to land number one with Columbus hoping they can somehow move up.

This franchise cannot afford to fall in this draft. They have to move up or stay at four to land a possible franchise-altering player. Falling would only cause people who follow to team to possibly echo the conspiracy theories surrounding the NHL Draft Lottery. 

If fans have any bits of positive energy left after these past two seasons, this team needs it. 

More From THN Columbus

Join Jason Newland's Columbus Blue Jacket page on Bunches, a new app that connects sports fans. Also, you can watch a new YouTube game show about the Blue Jackets, Around the Fifth Line.