NHL Draft Lottery 2016: Start Time, TV Schedule, Live Stream and Odds

For almost a month, about half of the NHL has been dormant as 14 teams' campaigns ended with the conclusion of the regular season. 

On Saturday, April 30, those teams will get a chance to start planning for the future with the NHL draft lottery, taking place at Sportsnet's Hockey Central Studio at the Canadian Broadcasting Centre in Toronto. 

The non-playoff teams and teams that hold a non-playoff team's selection will find out where in the top half of the first round they will pick.

Here's all the information you need to know on how to watch the ping-pong balls fall:

Date	Time (ET)	TV	Live Stream
Saturday, Apr. 30	8 p.m.	NBC	NBC Sports Live Extra

Like any draft lottery, the worse a team is, the better its chances of getting a top pick are. Canadian teams look poised to benefit the most, as the three worst teams—the Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers and Vancouver Canucks—hold the best odds to get the No. 1 overall pick. 

These are what the odds look like for each team participating in the lottery, per Craig Morgan of ArizonaSports.com:

Team	2015-16 Points	No. 1	No. 2	No. 3	Lowest Possible
Toronto Maple Leafs	69	20.0%	17.5%	15.0%	4th
Edmonton Oilers	70	13.5%	13.0%	12.5%	5th
Vancouver Canucks	75	11.5%	11.4%	11.3%	6th
Columbus Blue Jackets	76	9.5%	9.7%	9.8%	7th
Calgary Flames	77	8.5%	8.8%	9.0%	8th
Winnipeg Jets	78	7.5%	7.8%	8.2%	9th
Arizona Coyotes	78	6.5%	6.9%	7.2%	10th
Buffalo Sabres	81	6.0%	6.4%	6.8%	11th
Montreal Canadiens	82	5.0%	5.4%	5.8%	12th
Colorado Avalanche	82	3.5%	3.8%	4.2%	13th
New Jersey Devils	84	3.0%	3.3%	3.6%	14th
Ottawa Senators	85	2.5%	2.7%	3.0%	14th
Carolina Hurricanes	86	2.0%	2.2%	2.5%	14th
Boston Bruins	93	1.0%	1.1%	1.3%	14th

If the Oilers get the No. 1 pick, it will be the fourth time in the past seven seasons they've held the first selection as their rebuilding process continues.

But despite taking Taylor Hall in 2010, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins in 2011, Nail Yakupov in 2012 and last year's phenom, Connor McDavid, the Oilers haven't had a winning season since 2008-09. 

All eyes this year are going to be on center Auston Matthews, an 18-year-old who tore up the Swiss league with 46 points (24 goals and 22 assists) in just 36 games in 2015-16.

Described as a "generational talent" by Elite Prospects' Curtis Joe, Matthews looks like a player who has it all.

At 6'2", he has great size for a forward with soft, quick hands that are ideal for goal scoring. He's the kind of player who could be a poacher in front of the net like John LeClair or snipe from all angles of the ice like Sidney Crosby. 

He's a playmaker who can create chances for himself and teammates with great vision on the ice to go along with blazing speed to get separation from opponents.

North American audiences were given an opportunity to see Matthews participate in the IIHF World Junior Championships with Team USA around the turn of the year. In seven games, he recorded seven goals and four assists to help the United States to a bronze medal.

While he's the can't-miss prospect of the draft, is set to make millions of dollars in the NHL and poised to be the new hope of a franchise, Matthews has the condolences of McDavid, who revealed his disgust with the lottery process during a recent conversation with Terry Jones of the Edmonton Sun. 

"

I really feel for Matthews, having to go through what I had to go through.

It’s not fun. It’s stressful. It’s upsetting.

It was so stressful, not just for myself but for my family. ... The reason it’s so stressful is that when they open one of those envelopes, your fate is being decided for the next how many years.

That one moment affects your whole life. I mean it really affects a lot of areas. There’s way more than hockey involved

"

He did have some advice for the youngster, though: "If I were to say anything to Matthews, it would be to keep an open mind. Whatever happens happens. But I know how hard that is to do."

After Thursday night's NFL draft, TSN's Jamie McLennan also had some advice for Matthews:

Unfortunately, that's what comes with the territory of being the best prospect in a draft class. His addition to an NHL roster will be a huge lift for the team that lands him, but it will be vital they evaluate and handle him correctly. 

There is no use in rushing a player of his caliber up to the NHL if there are any questions about whether he needs more time to fine-tune his game. The last thing a team would want is to have a young talent risk injury and waste his time playing for a terrible outfit.

But for those bottom-dwellers looking for a light at the end of a losing tunnel, winning the No. 1 pick could be the trick to helping turn things around.

Stats courtesy of Elite Prospects.