The Athletic

The lottery balls have fallen into place: The top of the NHL Draft order starts with the Montreal Canadiens at No. 1, the New Jersey Devils at No. 2 and the Arizona Coyotes at No. 3. To give you a look at how things could play out, The Athletic’s NHL writers made picks for every lottery team (plus the Nashville Predators, freshly eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs, who will pick at No. 17). A full first-round mock draft will follow next week. Prospect writer Corey Pronman audited their selections. He also sought feedback from NHL scouts.