The New York Rangers were the first team to see their NHL restart bubble burst.

They got a pretty nice consolation prize Monday.

The Rangers won the second phase of the leagueB次元官网网址檚 draft lottery, all but assuring star winger and presumptive No. 1 pick Alexis Lafreniere will be heading to the Big Apple.

B次元官网网址淟eaving the bubble first hurts,B次元官网网址� Rangers general manager Jeff Gorton said. B次元官网网址漈hereB次元官网网址檚 still seven teams in the hotel and youB次元官网网址檙e walking by them all. TheyB次元官网网址檙e all getting coffee and youB次元官网网址檙e getting on your bus. Usually you lose, you walk out of the rink, you fly home.

B次元官网网址淭his one year, youB次元官网网址檙e right in there with all these teams and youB次元官网网址檙e the first one out.B次元官网网址�

Now theyB次元官网网址檒l be the first to the microphone when the draft, tentatively scheduled for Oct. 9 and 10, is held at the conclusion of the pandemic-delayed season.

New York had a 1/8 shot B次元官网网址� or 12.5 per cent B次元官网网址� of grabbing the top pick after a placeholder secured the No. 1 slot back in June.

Swept by the Carolina Hurricanes three straight in the best-of-five qualifying round, the Rangers were one of the eight clubs eliminated from the 24-team restart included in the second phase of the lottery.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 been really long the last couple months,B次元官网网址� said Lafreniere, whoB次元官网网址檚 played three seasons with the Quebec Major Junior Hockey LeagueB次元官网网址檚 Rimouski Oceanic. B次元官网网址滲ut really fun to know who won the lottery.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 pretty good news and IB次元官网网址檓 really happy.B次元官网网址�

New York selected Finnish winner Kaapo Kakko in 2019 after jumping from No. 6 to No. 2 in the draft order, and has lots of firepower up front, including Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad.

The Edmonton Oilers, Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators, Pittsburgh Penguins, Toronto Maple Leafs and Winnipeg Jets were the other franchises in the mix for this yearB次元官网网址檚 top pick.

Lafreniere said he let his mind wander as players like Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews were eliminated from the qualifying round over the last number of days, narrowing where he might end up.

B次元官网网址淭he lottery had a couple of really good teams,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址滻t was a really exciting.B次元官网网址�

The placeholder B次元官网网址� designated as Team E B次元官网网址� that won the lottery back in June to set the stage for the RangersB次元官网网址� ball being selected Monday had just a 2.5 per cent shot at the No. 1 pick. The league went with a modified format after the season was halted in mid-March because of COVID-19, with the seven teams not included in the restart and eight placeholders representing franchises that would eventually be eliminated before the usual 16-slot playoff bracket.

New York has been in the middle of a rebuild that was accelerated by drafting Kakko and signing Panarin in free agency last year. Getting to add another talent of that calibre should speed the process up even further.

B次元官网网址淵ouB次元官网网址檙e trying to gather as much talent as you can,B次元官网网址� Gorton said. B次元官网网址滻f you look through some of the best players in the league, some of the star players in this league, itB次元官网网址檚 not a huge secret where the teams are getting them.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 lottery picks, itB次元官网网址檚 the very high-end parts of the draft.B次元官网网址�

The Los Angeles Kings will choose second, while the Ottawa Senators own the third B次元官网网址� as part of the Erik Karlsson trade B次元官网网址� and fifth selections. The Detroit Red Wings, who had the best singular odds at winning the lottery the first time around, possess the fourth pick.

Selections nine through 15 are based on the regular-season points percentage of t

he other seven losers in the qualifying round at the time the leagueB次元官网网址檚 suspended play March 12. Minnesota will pick ninth followed by Winnipeg (10th), Nashville (11th) and Florida (12th).

Carolina owns TorontoB次元官网网址檚 selection B次元官网网址� which was part of the Patrick Marleau trade, but top-10 protected B次元官网网址� and will choose 13th, followed by Edmonton at No. 14. Pittsburgh currently holds the 15th pick, but has seven days to decide whether or not it will keep the selection or give it to Minnesota as part of the Jason Zucker deal. If the Penguins hold onto the selection, the Wild will get their first-rounder in 2021.

The next 16 spots in the first round of the draft will be determined by the reverse order of playoff results.

The NHL was originally scheduled to hold the 2020 draft at the Bell Centre in Montreal, not far from LafreniereB次元官网网址檚 hometown of St-Eustache, Que.

B次元官网网址淚t was really disappointing,B次元官网网址� said Lafreniere, who is set to become the first Quebec-born player to go No. 1 since Marc-Andre Fleury in 2003. B次元官网网址滻tB次元官网网址檚 gonna be different.B次元官网网址�

The six-foot-one, 193-pound forward and NHL Central ScoutingB次元官网网址檚 top-ranked North American skater, the 18-year-old is the two-time Canadian Hockey League player of the year. Lafreniere had 35 goals and 112 points in 52 games before the QMJHL season was cancelled because of the novel coronavirus outbreak.

Lafreniere, who said he might start next season in Rimouski since the NHL wonB次元官网网址檛 get going until at least December, was also named MVP of the 2020 world junior hockey championship in the Czech Republic after leading Canada to gold.

Gorton, who didnB次元官网网址檛 want to tip his hand even though Lafreniere is viewed as a slam-dunk No. 1, said he hasnB次元官网网址檛 spoken to the player, but that process B次元官网网址� over video conferencing B次元官网网址� will commence in short order.

B次元官网网址淲e didnB次元官网网址檛 want to jinx ourselves and do our interview with Alexis until we had the good fortune of winning the lottery,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址滻 didnB次元官网网址檛 want to waste his time.B次元官网网址�

The Rangers have picked first overall just once, when they took Andre Veilleux in 1965, but that was before all junior players were eligible.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 huge excitement for an organization to get the first pick on any year,B次元官网网址� Gorton said. B次元官网网址滱nd I think this oneB次元官网网址檚 even more special.B次元官网网址�

Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press

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