The Calgary Flames haven’t been eliminated from post-season contention, but they’re likely to be mathematically out within the next week or so. Once the Flames are done and dusted, the next big order of business is the 2021 NHL Draft.
For the curious types, let’s go over how the draft order is determined.
The non-playoff teams
For the purposes of this year’s draft, there are 16 non-playoff teams – that’s the 15 teams that played and missed the playoffs, plus Seattle. Picks 1 through 16 in each round are awarded to the non-playoff teams in reverse points order – the worst teams get the best picks.