The odds are out.
The National Hockey League announced Wednesday the odds for the 2018 NHL Draft Lottery, held Saturday, April 28 in Toronto.
The 2018 draft will hold three drawings: the first draw will determine the team which will hold the first overall pick, the second will determine the team which will hold the second overall pick, and the third lottery draw will determine the team holding the third overall pick.
Teams that do not qualify for the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs, or the teams holding the first-round picks of teams who do not qualify for the playoffs, will participate in the lottery.
The odds have increased for the teams at the top of the lottery. In 2017, the team with the fewest points in the regular season had an 18.0 percent change at winning, the second fewest had a 12.1 percent chance at winning and the third-place team had a 10.3 percent chance.
Here are the percentages for 2018:
| Pick | 2018 | 2017 |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 18.5 | 18.0 |
| 2 | 13.5 | 12.1 |
| 3 | 11.5 | 10.3 |
| 4 | 9.5 | 10.3 |
| 5 | 8.5 | 8.5 |
| 6 | 7.5 | 7.6 |
| 7 | 6.5 | 6,7 |
| 8 | 6.0 | 5.8 |
| 9 | 5.0 | 5.4 |
| 10 | 3.5 | 4.5 |
| 11 | 3.0 | 3.2 |
| 12 | 2.5 | 2.7 |
| 13 | 2.0 | 2.2 |
| 14 | 1.5 | 1.8 |
| 15 | 1.0 | 0.9 |