NEW YORK - JULY 22: The National Hockey League draft balls are checked prior to the lottery at the Sheraton New York Hotel and Towers on July 22, 2005 in New York City. (Photo by Andy Marlin/Getty Images for NHLI)
Did you miss it? You probably did. The NHL Draft Lottery was tonight! You probably weren’t paying attention to it on account of the New York Islanders not being part of the festivities. By virtue of making the postseason, the Isles first-round pick in 2021 wasn’t part of the lottery.
So while the lottery results had no direct impact on the Islanders, teams in their division were still in the mix.