The 2020 NHL draft was set to be held in Montreal only for those plans to be changed when the world was put into a panic because of the COVID-19 pandemic. With restrictions still in place 2021 wasn't a possibility either. In his annual meeting with the media at the NHL All-Star Weekend Gary Bettman said the NHL «would consider» moving the draft out of Montreal if the pandemic restrictions were still in place at that time.
TSN»s Chris Johnson was speaking on the Insider Trading program, the threat of the NHL moving the draft out of Montreal is «gone». NHL officials are going to Montreal to finalize details next week.
Montreal are having a bit of a resurgence under new coach Martin St.Louis but still remain last place in the league with 37 points. If they remain in last place they will have the highest odds of winning the #1 overall pick and guaranteed to be picking in the Top 3. If the lottery balls go their way they might have the chance to pick cornerstone future franchise centre Shane Wright. It'll be a nice prize at the end of a very dismal season in Montreal.