More news out of the league as the bantam draft lottery was held, with Portland winning the first pick. The Winter Hawks, who finished with the league’s second-worst record, leapfrogged Moose Jaw into the top position.
The league also set the rest of the draft order. Everett will pick eighth in the first round, then seventh in every round after that. The reason is because the teams that don’t make the playoffs get the first six picks in the first round, but it goes by record after that. Prince Albert, which did not make the playoffs in the Eastern Conference, finished with a better record than both Prince George and Everett, and therefore drops down after the first round.
But wait, Everett also has Lethbridge’s first-round pick because of the Kyle Beach trade. That turned out to be the 11th-overall pick — in a moment of irony, Everett’s terrible 10-0 loss at Seattle on Sunday actually moved that pick up one spot as the T-birds passed the Hurricanes in the standings. Therefore, Everett has three picks in the top 29. My understanding is this year’s draft isn’t highly regarded, including the lack of a clear-cut top player or players, so it might not be the best year for a high volume of early picks. But having three picks in the top 29 certainly increases Everett’s chance at striking gold.
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