It's a pivotal week in American sports as the NHL Draft lottery takes place tonight at the NHL Network studio in Secaucus, N.J. The standout prize for the lottery winner is Gavin McKenna, a Canadian forward playing for Penn State.

The lottery will determine the order of selection for the top 16 picks in the upcoming draft, scheduled for June 26-27 in Buffalo. The process consists of two phases: one for the No. 1 pick and another for the No. 2 pick. Only the top 11 seeds are eligible to win the lottery, while teams ranked Nos. 12-16 can move up to the No. 2-6 spots.

Among the teams vying for the top pick:

• Vancouver Canucks: Finished with the fewest points (58) and have a 25.5% chance of winning the lottery, priced at +270 at FanDuel.
• Chicago Blackhawks: With the second-fewest points, they hold a 13.5% chance at +550. They previously won the lottery in 2023 with a similar chance.

Gavin McKenna is heavily favored to be the No. 1 overall pick, with odds at -430, following an impressive freshman season with 15 goals and 36 assists in 35 games. Comparisons have been made to Clayton Keller, and he is set to represent Team Canada at the IIHF World Championships, marking a historic moment as the first Nittany Lion to do so.

If McKenna is not selected first, Ivar Stenberg, the top international skater, is a strong contender after scoring 11 goals and 22 assists in 43 games with Frolunda in the SHL.

Additionally, the Toronto Maple Leafs face a unique situation regarding their first-round pick owed to Boston, contingent on its placement in the top five. FanDuel offers odds on this scenario, adding another layer of intrigue to the draft lottery.