Teams that are Most Deserving of the Number One Pick:

In this year's draft, the eight teams who lose in the "play-in” round this summer will all be unfairly given the advantage to obtain the number one overall selection in the 2020 NHL Draft. These upcoming teams are the most deserving of this pick and are the teams that the NHL should hope wins the selection. 

The Columbus Blue Jackets:

The Blue Jackets have had many ups and downs in recent years. Last season, they went all-in for the playoffs when they added an all-star caliber player in Matt Duchene and decided to keep all-star players Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky on their squad for their playoff pursuit. This risk somewhat paid off as the Jackets won their first playoff round in franchise history by upsetting one of the greatest regular season teams of all time. However, last off-season their two all-star players departed. Impressively enough, however, the team this year has still been somewhat successful. They have maintained their identity of focusing on their defensive structure with coach John Tortorella at the forefront. This summer, they are harsh underdogs in their play-in matchup against Toronto. This is somewhat difficult to comprehend, as we believe that they have an ample opportunity at defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs in a best of five series this summer. If they don’t succeed, however, the fans of Columbus deserve this type of “break”. Ever since defeating the Stanley Cup favorites-the Tampa Bay Lightning- last season, the city of Columbus has embraced the Jackets and their franchise. Recently, they have truly proved that they have indeed warranted consideration as being classified as a “hockey town”. Currently, the Jackets have a great young defensive core, and adding a perineal scorer like Alexis Lafreniere would mediate their biggest weakness—their lack of “raw” offensive talent. The Jackets have failed at enticing other players to join their franchise, as seen when they attempted to lure Maple Leaf’s Mitch Marner last summer through an offer sheet. The Jackets would be a great fit in an already extremely competitive division. 

Arizona Coyotes: 

The Arizona Coyotes need to remain relevant in the desert. Unfortunately, like every other season, their attendance this year was among the leagues worst. In fact, there have been some rumors of an arena situation at Gila River Arena in recent years. Luckily, the Coyotes do have a very young team with a solid defensive core and goaltending tandem. However, like the Blue Jackets, they lack adequate offensive talent. Clayton Keller struggled in the first year of his long term deal and former all-star Phil Kessel has not lived up to expectations whatsoever this year. Adding a talent like Lafreniere would help enhance the brand of the Coyotes and their fans, as well. Additionally, the league should be rooting for a small market team like the Coyotes to obtain this pick. Although the team is not under the best cap situation, with a great coach like Rick Tocchet at their disposal, the Coyotes would provide a great role model to a young player like Lafreniere. 

Montreal Canadiens: 

Alexis Lafreniere to the Habs would be quite the happy ending to a very complicated hockey story in the 19-20 season. Growing up a Habs fan, Lafreniere would provide the offensive spark that the have Canadiens desperately need for many years. In recent memory, the Habs have lacked adequate offensive talent in over two decades. Lafreniere has game-breaking talent that would instantly boost their top-six forward group. Marc Bergevin’s plan for his so-called “retool” would instantly be amplified. Additionally, this would be the best scenario for the league, as well. The league would be ecstatic knowing that one of the biggest hockey markets and the worst team in the expanded playoff format would receive the number one overall pick. The Habs are due for an offensive talent like Lafreniere and he would definitely enhance the confidence of veterans Carey Price and Shea Weber in the future of the team. As the first overall pick since Vinny Lecavalier in 1998, the Habs might be the most deserving team on this list. 

Minnesota Wild:

Lastly, the Minnesota Wild would be a great fit for a team like Lafreniere. The Wild have made many changes in recent years, specifically with their coaching staff and player personnel. This past season, they were much more reliant on their younger’s players, especially this year with budding all-star Kevin Fiala and Ryan Donato as the core pieces of their franchise. Also, the Wild have many veteran players like Devyn Dubnyk, Ryan Suter, and Mats Zuccarello who are running out of time in this league. Adding a player like Lafreniere would be a perfect addition to their balanced mix of veteran and young players. Minnesota, the State of Hockey, has a great fan base and has been mediocre for quite some time. The fans of the Wild also deserve this type of “break”. 

Honorable Mentions:

The New York Islanders, Calgary Flames, and Nashville Predators.

Although there are many teams that are in need of a franchise-altering talent like Lafrienire, these specific teams all have one thing in common: lack of offensive talent. Hopefully, for the sake of the NHL and its fans, one of these teams obtains the number one overall selection in the 2020 NHL draft.