The 2020 NHL draft lottery was one of the most unique hockey moments in recent memory. The league's need for a ratings-generating broadcast event combined with the pandemic-induced, one-off qualification round playoff format meant that there was a small chance that a mystery team would win the first0 overall pick.

And because it's the NHL of course that's what happened. That left eight teams, all of which already had competitive rosters, with equal odds at a franchise-changing player: Alexis Lafrenière. 

The drawing felt like it could shift tectonic plates. The Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers could get yet another offensive star. The Florida Panthers or Winnipeg Jets could round out their top six of the future. The Minnesota Wild and Nashville Predators could deliver long-awaited elite forward talent or the Penguins could extend their window and maybe even bypass a lengthy rebuild. 

Ultimately none of those teams were so lucky, and Lafrenière joined the promising youth movement of the New York Rangers.