#NHLSTATS PACK: LOOKING AHEAD TO THE 2020 NHL DRAFT The 2020 NHL Draft will be held virtually over two days, with Round 1 set for 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Oct. 6 (NBCSN, , TVA). Rounds 2-7 will begin at 11:30 a.m. ET on Wednesday, Oct. 7 (NHLN, SN1).

* This will mark the first time the Draft has been held mid-week (days other than Friday, Saturday or Sunday) since the 1994 NHL Draft at the Hartford Civic Center which took place from Tuesday, June 28 to Wednesday, June 29, 1994.

* Holding a non-weekend Draft was a common occurrence in the early days of the event. The first 21 years of the NHL Draft from 1963 to 1983 saw prospects picked on days outside of the Friday to Sunday window.

* The Order of Selection was announced Sept. 29 upon the conclusion of the 2020 .

RANGERS OWN FIRST OVERALL PICK The Rangers are slated to select first in 2020 as a result of winning Phase 2 of the 2020 NHL Draft Lottery conducted on Aug. 10, 2020 at NHL Network’s Secaucus, N.J., studio.

* The Rangers have made the first overall selection once in NHL Draft history (Andre Veilleux in 1965) but will have the opportunity to do so for the first time since the universal draft was adopted in 1969 (all juniors of qualifying age eligible for selection).

* This marks the second consecutive year that the Rangers have held a top-two selection after drafting forward Kaapo Kakko No. 2 overall in 2019. Aside from Kakko, the only other pick the Rangers have made among the top five over the last 50 years was Pavel Brendl (No. 4 in 1999).

SENATORS WITH TWO PICKS AMONG FIRST FIVE SELECTIONS The Senators enter the 2020 NHL Draft with three picks in the first round, including a pair in the top five (Nos. 3, 5 and 28). It will mark the eighth time since the universal draft was adopted in 1969 that a team has selected twice in the top five:

* Ottawa has selected among the top five on seven occasions, but just twice in the last 20 years: Brady Tkachuk (No. 4 in 2018) and (No. 2 in 2001).

ROUNDING OUT THE TOP 10 IN 2020 * After selecting Alex Turcotte fifth overall in 2019, the Kings hold a top-10 draft pick in consecutive years for the first time since a three year stretch that saw them select Thomas Hickey in 2007 (No. 4), Drew Doughty in 2008 (No. 2) and Brayden Schenn in 2009 (No. 5).

* The Red Wings are set to select among the top 10 for the fourth straight year after going 25 years without a top-10 selection between in 1991 (No. 10) and Michael Rasmussen in 2017 (No. 9). Their No. 4 slot in 2020 is the highest they will pick since 1990 (: No. 3).

* The Senators lead all teams with 13 picks, including two in the top five and seven in the opening two rounds (3 in Round 1, 4 in Round 2). The most picks by any team through two rounds of an NHL Draft is seven, by the Avalanche in 1998 (7 of 58 total selections through two rounds) and by the Canadiens in 1974 (7 of 36 total selections through two rounds). Since the NHL Draft went to seven rounds in 2005, only three teams have made 13 selections in the same draft (none have made more); the Panthers were the last to do so in 2010, selecting forward Nick Bjugstad with the second of their 13 picks.

* The Ducks have selected sixth overall or higher only seven times in 27 drafts since entering the League in 1993-94, including only twice since 2005 - they chose Bobby Ryan second overall that year, and Hampus Lindholm at No. 6 in 2012.

* After having only one top-10 pick over an 18-year span from 1997 to 2014 (: No. 4 in 2011), the Devils are on track to select among the top-10 for the fourth time in six drafts since 2015.

* After choosing no higher than 12th for nine years from 2004 to 2012, the Sabres are on track to select among the top-10 for an eighth consecutive year. Four teams have selected in the top 10 of eight consecutive drafts: the Canadiens (13; 1963-1975), Maple Leafs (10; 1981-1990), Blue Jackets (9; 2000- 2008) and Oilers (8; 2009-2016).

* The Wild own a top-10 draft pick for just the ninth time since entering the League in 2000-01 and for the first time since 2012, when they selected Matt Dumba seventh overall.

* The Jets hold a top-10 draft pick for the fifth time since relocating to Winnipeg for the 2011-12 , with each of the previous four playing significant time with the club. (No. 7 in 2011), the first draft pick by the Jets after their move, leads the team in goals over the past seven seasons; Jacob Trouba (No. 9 in 2012) played 408 regular-season games with the Jets before being traded at the 2019 NHL Draft; (No. 9 in 2014) ranks fourth on the team in goals since 2015-16; and Patrik Laine (No. 2 in 2016) is the team’s top -scorer since entering the League in 2016-17.

ALEXIS LAFRENIERE LEADS LIST OF TOP-RANKED PROSPECTS Left wing Alexis Lafreniere (Saint-Eustache, Que.) of the Rimouski Oceanic in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League ranks No. 1 among North American skaters for the 2020 NHL Draft. Lafreniere led all QMJHL skaters in assists and points with 35-77—112 in 52 games in 2019-20.

* Entering the 2020 NHL Draft, the most recent Canadian-born player to be selected first overall was Connor McDavid in 2015 by . The four consecutive drafts without a Canadian player selected first overall is the longest such stretch in NHL Draft history.

* Overall, 40 of 57 first-overall picks have been Canadian-born players (70.2%), however that number drops to 50% over the last 10 years (5 of 10).

* Lafreniere can become the first Quebec-born player selected No. 1 overall since Marc-Andre Fleury in 2003 (PIT) and the first skater from Quebec to be taken with the first pick since Vincent Lecavalier in 1998 (TBL).

* Lafreniere was named CHL and QMJHL Most Valuable Player for the second consecutive season – the first back-to-back winner of each award since (2003-04 to 2004-05). Crosby also did so while representing the Oceanic.

* Should Lafreniere be selected first overall, he would be the third player taken in the top spot out of the QMJHL’s Rimouski Oceanic. The others: Vincent Lecavalier (1998 by TBL) and Sidney Crosby (2005 by PIT).

* Rimouski and the (Nathan MacKinnon: 2013 by COL, : 2017 by NJD) are the only QMJHL teams to have multiple players selected first overall in the NHL Draft.

* In total, 10 first overall picks have been selected out of the QMJHL entering 2020 – only the OHL/OHA (20) has produced more No. 1 selections.

MORE TOP PROSPECT QUICK HITS Click here to view NHL Central Scouting’s final rankings for the 2020 NHL Draft as well as bios and additional information for many of the top-rated prospects. More on some of the top-ranked prospects:

* No. 1-ranked international skater Tim Stuetzle, who was named Rookie of the Year in ’s top pro league with 7-27—34 in 41 games in 2019-20, looks to become the third German-born and trained player taken in the top 10 of the NHL Draft. The previous two have both been selected within the last six years: Leon Draisaitl in 2014 (No. 3 by EDM) and Moritz Seider in 2019 (No. 6 by DET).

* No. 2-ranked North American skater Quinton Byfield can become the third player to be selected among the top five of the NHL Draft, following Mike Foligno in 1979 (No. 3 by DET) and Benoit Pouliot in 2005 (No. 4 by MIN).

* No. 3-ranked North American skater Jamie Drysdale can become the third player in the last five years to be selected in the first round – Erie teammates Connor McDavid (No. 1 by EDM) and Dylan Strome (No. 3 by ARI) were selected among the top three picks in 2015.

* No. 4-ranked North American skater Jake Sanderson led all defensemen in the USA Hockey Under-18 National Team Development Program with 7-22—29 in 47 games in 2019-20. His father, , was a second-round selection of the in 1990 (No. 36) and recorded 355- 345—700 in 1,104 career NHL games.

* No. 5-ranked North American skater Cole Perfetti ranked second in OHL scoring with 37-74—111 in 61 games in 2019-20. Only one player in history has been taken in the first round of the NHL Draft since the team relocated there prior to the 2002-03 season: in 2006 (No. 30 by NJD).

* No. 6-ranked North American skater Marco Rossi (Feldkirch, ) of the Ottawa 67’s led all players in the (OHL, QMJHL and WHL) in assists and points with 39-81—120 in 56 games in 2019-20. Rossi can become the fifth Austrian-born player selected in the first round of the NHL Draft; he would join Thomas Vanek in 2003 (No. 5 by BUF), Michael Grabner in 2006 (No. 14 by VAN), and both Andre Burakovsky (No. 23 by WSH) and Marko Dano (No. 27 by CBJ) in 2013.

* Rossi’s teammate in Ottawa is No. 7-ranked North American skater Jack Quinn (52-37—89 in 62 GP), one of two OHL players to score 50 goals in 2019-20. The other was Maple Leafs forward Nick Robertson (55 w/ ).

* Rossi and Quinn can become the third set of 67’s teammates to be taken among the top 10 in the same NHL Draft. They would join Michel Larocque (No. 6 by MTL) and Wayne Merrick (No. 9 by STL) in 1972, along with (No. 1 by MNS) and Tim Higgins (No. 10 by CHI) in 1978.

* No. 1-ranked international Iaroslav Askarov, who plays for Neva St. Petersburg in Russia’s second division, can become the fifth Russian-born goaltender to be selected in the first round. He would join Yevgeni Ryabchikov in 1994 (No. 21 by BOS), Semyon Varlamov in 2006 (No. 23 by WSH), Andrei Vasilevskiy in 2012 (No. 19 by TBL) and Ilya Samsonov in 2015 (No. 22 by WSH).

* No. 1-ranked North American goaltender Nicolas Daws of the was the winner of the Jim Rutherford Trophy in 2019-20, awarded annually to the OHL Goaltender of the Year. He led OHL in save percentage (.924) and (5) in 2019-20 (38 GP).

* Only four OHL goaltenders over the last 20 years have been selected in the first round of the NHL Draft: Adam Munro of the Erie Otters in 2001 (No. 29 by CHI), Tom McCollum of the Guelph Storm in 2008 (No. 30 by DET), of the Niagara IceDogs in 2010 (No. 27 by PHX) and Malcolm Subban of the in 2012 (No. 24 by BOS).

ZAYDE WISDOM NAMED RECIPIENT OF 2020 E.J. MCGUIRE AWARD OF EXCELLENCE Zayde Wisdom, the 54th-ranked North American skater, was named the recipient of the 2019-20 E.J. McGuire Award of Excellence. First handed out in 2014-15, the award is presented annually by the League to a candidate who best exemplifies commitment to excellence through strength of character, competitiveness and athleticism.

In the 2019-20 season, the , Ont., native ranked second on the OHL’s in goals (29), assists (30) and points (59) in 62 games, marking a huge leap in production over his rookie campaign with a 26-goal and 49- improvement (3-7—10 in 60 GP in 2018-19).

TEAM NOTABLE PICKS IN 2020 ROUND 1 DRAFT SLOT(S) No. 1 – The Rangers have made the first overall selection once in NHL Draft history (Andre Veilleux in 1965) but will have the opportunity to do so for the first time since the universal draft was adopted in 1969 (all juniors of qualifying age eligible for selection).

No. 2 – The Kings have picked in the No. 2 slot three times previously, with all selected players going on to appear in over 500 career NHL games: in 1981 (115-138—253 in 535 GP), Jimmy Carson in 1986 (275-286—561 in 626 GP) and Drew Doughty in 2008 (117-385—502 in 919 GP). Doughty has anchored the Kings blueline since 2008-09, helping the franchise win its first two Stanley Cups (2012 and 2014) and earning the Norris Trophy in 2015-16.

No. 3 – (from ) The Senators held the No. 3 selection once previously, drafting forward Radek Bonk in 1994. Bonk ranks among the top-10 on the all-time franchise list for regular-season games (5th; 689), goals (7th; 152), assists (6th; 247) and points (6th; 399).

No. 4 – The Red Wings have selected in the No. 4 slot twice previously, choosing Fred Williams in 1976 and current general manager and franchise icon Steve Yzerman in 1983. Yzerman spent his entire 22- season career with Detroit, including 20 years as team , where he recorded 692-1,063—1,755 in 1,514 career regular-season games and led the franchise to three Stanley Cup championships (1997, 1998 and 2002). Only one player other than Yzerman taken with the No. 4 pick has gone on to record at least 1,700 NHL points, Ron Francis (549-1,249-1,798 in 1,731 GP), selected fourth overall by the Hartford Whalers in 1981.

No. 5 – Ottawa Senators The Senators have never selected fifth overall.

No. 6 – The Ducks have selected sixth overall once previously, taking defenseman Hampus Lindholm in 2012. Lindholm has gone on to skate in over 500 games for the Ducks spanning seven seasons (50-144—194 in 502 GP) – his career plus-75 rating is higher than any defenseman in franchise history.

No. 7 – The Devils franchise has never selected seventh overall.

No. 8 – This will mark the fourth time overall that the Sabres will select in the No. 8 slot, with each such pick coming in the last seven years - they drafted defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen in 2013 and forwards in 2016 and in 2017. Ristolainen ranks eighth all-time in career points by a Sabres defenseman (42-185—227 in 493 GP), one back of former Sabres coach Jim Schoenfield (45-183—228 in 584 GP) for seventh.

No. 9 – The Wild have drafted in the No. 9 slot on two previous occasions, selecting forwards James Sheppard in 2006 and Mikael Granlund in 2010. Granlund, who was traded to the Predators on February 25, 2019 after seven seasons with Minnesota, is one of seven players to record over 300 regular-season points as a member of the Wild.

No. 10 – The Jets/Thrashers franchise has picked No. 10 once previously, selecting defenseman Boris Valabik in 2004. Valabik appeared in 80 games for the Thrashers from 2007-08 to 2009-10, registering seven assists and 210 minutes. Of note, the original Winnipeg Jets (now the ) picked 10th overall once, selecting Teemu Selanne in 1988. Playing with the original Jets in 1992-93, Selanne set the single-season NHL records for goals (76) and points (132) by a rookie.

No. 11 – This will mark the third time the Predators have selected 11th overall after drafting defenseman in 2009 and forward Kevin Fiala in 2014. Ellis has spent his entire nine-season career in Nashville where he has recorded 70-182—252 in 527 regular-season contests. Ellis’ career plus-113 rating is the highest in franchise history and ranks seventh among all active defensemen.

No. 12 – The Panthers have selected 12th overall on one prior occasion, drafting forward Denis Shvidki in 1999. Shvidki went on to appear in 76 games with the franchise across four seasons from 2000-01 to 2003-04 while recording 11-14—25.

No. 13 – (from ) The Hurricanes/Whalers franchise has held the No. 13 pick twice previously. Hartford selected goaltender and future winner (2003 w/ ANA) and Stanley Cup champion (2007 w/ ANA) Jean- Sebastien Giguere in 1995 and Carolina chose defenseman Jake Bean in 2016.

No. 14 – The Oilers have selected in the No. 14 slot on two prior occasions, drafting forward Michel Riesen in 1997 and goaltender Devan Dubnyk in 2004. Riesen (Oberbalm, ) was the first Swiss-born player ever taken in the first round of the NHL Draft.

No. 15 – Toronto Maple Leafs (from ) This will mark the third time the Maple Leafs have selected 15th overall – they used the two previous occasions to draft defensemen Ian Turnbull in 1973 and Jeff Ware in 1995. Turnbull holds the NHL record for most goals in one game by a defenseman after scoring five times for Toronto in a 9-1 win over the Red Wings on Feb. 2, 1977.

No. 16 – The Canadiens have picked at No. 16 three times before, selecting forwards (1985), Eric Chouinard (1998) and Marcel Hossa (2000) – none of the three reached 100 regular-season games with the franchise and each eventually were traded by Montreal. The Chorske trade ahead of the 1991-92 season led to a Stanley Cup for both clubs involved - Montreal acquired , who was part of its 1993 championship, while Chorske was dealt to New Jersey where he won the Stanley Cup in 1995.

No. 17 – The Blackhawks have never selected 17th overall.

No. 18 – New Jersey Devils (from Arizona Coyotes) The Devils selected 18th overall four times over a 14-year span from 1982 to 1995: (1982), Jason Miller (1989), (1992) and Petr Sykora (1995). Daneyko appeared in more games in the regular-season (1,283) and playoffs (175) than any player in franchise history and was a contributor to all three of the Devils’ Stanley Cup championships in 1995, 2000 and 2003. Sykora also was a key part of New Jersey’s 2000 championship, leading the team in goals (9) and game-winning goals (3).

No. 19 – Flames The Flames have held the 19th overall pick three times previously, selecting forwards Bryan Deasley in 1987, Niklas Sundblad in 1991 and Chris Dingman in 1994. Although Dingman appeared in only 72 games with Calgary across his first two NHL seasons, he did go on to win the Stanley Cup in 2001 with the Avalanche and in 2004 with the Lightning – coincidentally in a seven-game series against the Flames.

No. 20 – New Jersey Devils (from via ) The Devils franchise has selected in the No. 20 slot on five prior occasions, most notably drafting Martin Brodeur in 1990 and in 2004. Brodeur, who holds the NHL records for career regular- season wins (691) and shutouts (125), is the most decorated player in franchise history who backstopped the team to three Stanley Cups (1995, 2000 and 2003) and was awarded the Vezina Trophy four times. Zajac has spent his entire 14-season career with New Jersey, where he ranks third in franchise history for regular-season points (532) and fourth in games played (991) - with Brodeur (1,259 GP w/ NJD) one of the three players ahead of him.

No. 21 – The Blue Jackets have held the No. 21 pick on only one prior occasion, selecting defenseman John Moore in 2009. Moore, who skated for the Bruins in 2019-20, appeared in 86 games with Columbus across three seasons from 2010-11 to 2012-13 (2-6—8).

No. 22 – New York Rangers (from Carolina Hurricanes) The Rangers have selected 22nd overall on three prior occasions, choosing forward Troy Mallette in 1988, forward Jeff Brown in 1996 and current prospect K’Andre Miller in 2018. To date, Mallette is the only of the three to appear in an NHL game – he played nine seasons in the NHL from 1989-90 to 1997- 98, including 150 with the Rangers (25-26—51), before returning to his hometown of Sudbury, Ont., to become a firefighter. Mallette retired from the fire department earlier this year.

No. 23 – The Flyers have picked in the No. 23 spot on two prior occasions, selecting defenseman Tom Bladon in 1972 and forward Jukko Seppo in 1986. Bladon set the NHL record for most points by a defenseman in a single game when he recorded 4-4—8 on Dec. 11, 1977, a mark later matched by Edmonton’s (2-6—8 on March 14, 1986).

No. 24 – The Capitals have picked 24th overall twice before, drafting forwards Errol Rausse in 1979 and Marcus Johansson in 2009. Johansson, who is currently a member of the Wild, appeared in 501 regular-season games with Washington across his first seven NHL seasons while collecting 102-188—290.

No. 25 – The Avalanche have selected in the No. 25 slot on three previous occasions, spreading the pick out among positions by drafting goaltender in 1995, defenseman Peter Ratchuk in 1996 and forward Mikhail Kuleshov in 1999. Denis appeared in only 28 games for Colorado, but did play in 349 career games over 11 NHL seasons (112-179-31).

No. 26 – St. Louis Blues The Blues have picked 26th overall four times previously, selecting defenseman Bob Hess in 1974, defenseman Brian Benning in 1984, forward David Perron in 2007 and forward Tage Thompson in 2016. Perron returned to the Blues prior to the 2018-19 season for his third stint with the franchise where he helped St. Louis win the Stanley Cup for the first time.

No. 27 – Anaheim Ducks (from ) The Ducks have picked 27th overall only once before, selecting defenseman Jacob Larsson in that slot in 2015. Larsson recorded 2-9—11 in 60 games with Anaheim in 2019-20.

No. 28 – Ottawa Senators (from ) The Senators have selected No. 28 overall twice previously, choosing current Blue Jackets captain in 2006 and Shane Bowers, now a member of the Avalanche organization, in 2017.

No. 29 – The Golden Knights have never selected 29th overall.

No. 30 – Stars The franchise has selected No. 30 once before, when the North Stars chose defenseman Neil Wilkinson 30th overall in Round 2 of the 1986 NHL Draft. Wilkinson went on to play in 460 career regular-season games across five teams, including 86 with the North Stars.

No. 31 – San Jose Sharks (from Tampa Bay Lightning) The Sharks have picked in the No. 31 slot once previously, selecting defenseman Jeremy Roy in 2015 (in what then was the first pick of Round 2). Roy has played the last three seasons with the team’s AHL affiliate, the San Jose Barracuda.

PICKS IN 2020 NHL DRAFT An overview of each team’s pick count as of 12 p.m. ET on Oct. 1, 2020:

Team Picks Ottawa Senators 13 Los Angeles Kings 11 Montréal Canadiens 11 Toronto Maple Leafs 11 Detroit Red Wings 10 New York Rangers 10 New Jersey Devils 9 Carolina Hurricanes 8 Tampa Bay Lightning 8 Anaheim Ducks 7 7 Florida Panthers 7 Nashville Predators 7 Philadelphia Flyers 7 San Jose Sharks 7 St. Louis Blues 7 Buffalo Sabres 6 Chicago Blackhawks 6 Colorado Avalanche 6 Minnesota Wild 6 Boston Bruins 5 Columbus Blue Jackets 5 5 Edmonton Oilers 5 New York Islanders 5 Vancouver Canucks 5 Vegas Golden Knights 5 Washington Capitals 5 Arizona Coyotes^ 4 Pittsburgh Penguins 4 Winnipeg Jets 4

^Does not include Pick 49 - The NHL directed the forfeiture of this pick in sanctions against the Arizona Coyotes announced Aug. 26, 2020.