The NHL just completed its first season with 32 teams now that the Seattle Kraken are in the fold. Sixteen teams made it to the post-season, while the other half of the league’s clubs are currently focused on the NHL Draft.
The Montreal Canadiens had the 31st pick last year after losing in the Stanley Cup Final, but ended the 2021-22 season as the first team in history to rank 32nd at the end of the year. It means they weren’t close to returning to the final round of the playoffs, but they are in the best position of all to claim the first overall pick in the upcoming entry draft.