Seen this a couple places, is this accurate? Is there a protocol in place for if they are forced to call the season?
They are having the lottery round 1 tonight. If the 3 picks are in the bottom 7, nothing with the remaining season/playoffs cancellation can corrupt that. If one of the lottery picks is assigned to qualifying round team participants, and the return-to-play plan does not conclude with a Cup champion, that would seem to throw a wrench in the published plan. I expect, however, the NHL has planned for that contingency, and simply not publicized that contingency agreement. As to the overall draft order in the event the return-to-play plan cannot be executed in totality, they likely have an agreement in place for that, too. (At least one would hope/expect).
Edit: piling on, in particular, if the draft tonight confirmed the first 3 picks involve the bottom 7 teams, and do not involve qualifying round teams, that would be the clearest cut scenario to not have a re-do in the event of a return-to-play suspension or cancellation. IF and ONLY IF, the lottery chose one of the "anonymous" qualifying round teams for a top 3 pick, and the return to play was canceled or suspended, would there be confusion. I assume the regular season points percentage (qual round seeding) would apply. If they made it past the qual round to playoff rounds, I assume normal rounds would apply, and if they did not conclude, tie breaks would be by regular season points percentage, as the current draft rules state.
I don't see too much ambiguity, other than an incomplete playoff round (which likely could be agreed to without controversy). I certainly don't see any logic in the White/Simon/MacKenzie fear mongering, re: Sabres, though I lack the details of their concern.
The Sabres will pick either 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 7th, 8th, 9th. 10th, and that will be determined tonight. After tonight, here will be no ambiguity with the Sabres order in the event of an aborted return to play. Only teams in the qualifying round and playoff rounds would have ambiguity (which again, I believe is straightforwardly reconcilable given NHL communication to date).
