The Bruins didn’t hit the ice Saturday, but the NHL Draft picture shifted slightly due to three shootout results around the league.
Philadelphia beat the Islanders, Seattle edged St. Louis, and Buffalo grabbed a point in a shootout loss to Florida. That point bumped Buffalo to 77 points — which matters for Boston. Even if the Bruins win their final two games and the Sabres lose theirs, both would sit on 77 points. However, Buffalo holds the tiebreaker with more regulation wins, meaning Boston can’t jump ahead.
Seattle’s situation is similar. If the Kraken earn any more points — or the Bruins drop any — Seattle will finish above Boston in the standings, locking Boston into a lower pre-lottery draft position.
If these standings hold, Boston would enter the NHL Draft Lottery with the **fourth-best odds (9.5%)** of landing the No. 1 overall pick. The worst-case scenario in that spot would be picking sixth.
Where Boston Stands:
– **Record:** 32-39-9 (73 points)
– **Games left:** 2 — at Penguins (Sunday), vs. Devils (Tuesday)
– **Current position:** 4th fewest points in the NHL
– **Draft floor/ceiling:** Can finish no better than 4th and no worse than 6th in pre-lottery standings
Other teams in the mix (points/max possible):
– Buffalo: 77 / 84
– Seattle: 76 / 78
– Philadelphia: 75 / 81
– Nashville: 66 / 70
– Chicago: 57 / 61
– San Jose: 51 / 59
How the NHL Draft Lottery Works:
– All non-playoff teams are entered.
– Two drawings determine the top two picks.
– A team can move up a maximum of 10 spots.
– Only the bottom 11 teams are eligible to win the No. 1 overall pick.
– After the top two picks are set, remaining teams are slotted in reverse order of the regular-season standings.
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