Where Sharks’ odds at landing No. 1 draft pick stand originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
After missing the Stanley Cup playoffs for a third consecutive season, the Sharks now look ahead to the 2022 NHL Draft Lottery in hopes of landing a top pick.
The postseason drought marks the longest such stretch in San Jose’s franchise history as the first time the Sharks have ever gone three straight years without a playoff appearance. With the draft lottery set for 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, the team looks to secure its first No. 1 or No. 2 pick since 1997.
The NHL released the odds of nabbing the top pick for clubs participating in the lottery on May 1, and the Sharks’ chances of seeing their ping pong ball pulled are slim. San Jose is slotted 11th headed into the lottery after finishing the 2021-22 season with a 32-37 record and scoring 77 points.
As a result, the Sharks have a three percent chance of securing the No. 1 pick.
The Sharks have never selected a No. 1 pick in the NHL Draft but have picked second three times over the years, most notably taking Patrick Marleau No. 2 overall in 1997.
San Jose barely made the cut to be eligible for the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, as changes made last year that go into effect this season include a limit on the total number of selections (10) a team participating in the lottery can “move up†if it wins one of the draws.
So, only the top 11 seeds are eligible to receive the first overall selection. Along with San Jose at three percent, the Montreal Canadiens have the highest chance of landing the top pick at 18.5 percent, while the Vegas Golden Knights and Vancouver Canucks are at the bottom of the odds list with a 0.5 percent chance.
After the top pick is handed out, the odds for the remaining teams will increase on a proportionate basis for the second pick, based on which team wins the first lottery draw.
Should luck fall in the Sharks’ favor and gift the team the No. 1 overall pick, San Jose could win the Shane Wright sweepstakes. The 18-year-old center is the NHL’s top draft prospect after scoring 94 points in 63 games with the Kingston Frontenacs in the Ontario Hockey League.
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But the Sharks have proven in the past that a No. 2 pick can be just as valuable (see Marleau), and there are countless other prospects to choose from should they land the second selection and go with the best player available.
In the last seven years, San Jose has drafted inside the top 11 twice, selecting center William Eklund at No. 7 last season and winger Timo Meier ninth overall in 2015.
As the Sharks’ search for a new general manager continues, they’ll have a better idea of what the future holds come Tuesday.
