2012 NHL Draft Lottery Results

Tonight TSN televised the NHL Draft lottery from Toronto where the top overall pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft was awarded to the Edmonton Oilers for the third straight year.

Designed to guard against teams purposely losing regular season games to improve draft position, the weighted lottery system implemented prior to the 1995 NHL Entry Draft provides weaker teams with a greater chance of a higher pick while allowing teams to advance up to four spots and fall only one. Despite all non-playoff bound clubs participating, only the league's five worst regular season teams are eligible for the top overall pick with the last place club enjoying a 48.2% likelihood of the loot.

For the first time in five years, the top pick went to someone other than the statistical favorite with the lowly Columbus Blue Jackets edged out by the lottery winning Oilers. The win gives Edmonton their third first overall pick in as many years (2010 Hall, 2011 Nugent-Hopkins), matching the Quebec Nordiques top overall pick threepeat dating back to the pre-lottery era (1989 Sundin, 1990 Nolan, 1991 Lindros).

Other than Edmonton and Columbus trading places, the remaining clubs placed as predicted by their statistical probabilities set forth below.

1. EDM: 18.8%
2. CLB: 25.0%
3. MTL: 14.2%
4. NYI: 10.7%
5. TOR: 8.1%
6. ANA: 6.2%
7. MIN: 4.7%
8. CAR: 3.6%
9. WPG: 2.7%
10. TBL: 2.1%
11. WAS: 1.5% (via COL)
12. BUF: 1.1%
13. DAL: 0.8%
14. CGY: 0.5%

Remaining NHL Entry Draft positions are set after the playoffs with the Stanley Cup champion and runner-up picking 30th and 29th, respectively. Conference finalists (28th, 27th) as well as division winners and wildcard teams (26th through 15th) are then ordered among their respective subgroup based on regular season standings, positioning teams with better regular season records to pick later than their peers.

* See also 2018 NHL Draft Lottery Results.
* See also 2017 NHL Draft Lottery Results.
* See also 2016 NHL Draft Lottery Results.
* See also 2015 NHL Draft Lottery Results.
* See also 2014 NHL Draft Lottery Results.
* See also 2013 NHL Draft Lottery Results.
* See also 2011 NHL Draft Lottery Results.
* See also 2010 NHL Draft Lottery Results.
* See also 2009 NHL Draft Lottery Results.