The team with the best odds to win the NHL draft lottery didn’t secure the No. 1 pick.

Neither did the club projected second or third.

But the Coyotes, at No. 4, weren’t the ones who scrambled the pecking order.

Instead, Arizona fell three spots to the seventh pick as its worst-case scenario played out with three teams who finished with more points than the Coyotes jumping up to fill out the top three.

The Devils grabbed the first pick, the Flyers ended up second and the Stars landed No. 3.

This tumble comes in a year without a generational talent but still continues the team's run of misfortune at the lottery as the Coyotes missed out on Connor McDavid and Scottsdale's Auston Matthews in the previous two drafts.

“You come here to win, so it’s disappointing to not win,” said General Manager John Chayka, who was in Toronto for the reveal. “But I guess glass half full, if there’s any year to drop, this is probably the least harmful for us.”

Arizona had the third-best odds to win the lottery at 10.3 percent on the heels of a 70-point performance that extended the team’s playoff drought to five years. The league’s newest club, the Vegas Golden Knights, had the same likelihood but slotted ahead of the Coyotes.

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The Avalanche had the best chance to pick first at 18 percent after posting a league-worst 48 points with the Canucks second at 12.1 percent.

But all four teams dropped three spots from this initial ranking when the Devils – backed by an 8.5 percent chance – won the top spot. The Flyers, who had just a 2.4 percent chance of winning the drawing for the second pick, climbed up from No. 13, and the Stars improved to third from their original eighth seed amid the seventh-best odds (6.5 percent) for the third drawing.

The NHL draft will be June 23 and 24 in Chicago.

"Disappointing,” Chayka said. “But at the same time, we’re going to get a good player either way based off the draft year. It’s not as big of an issue for me.”

Centers Nolan Patrick and Nico Hischier appear to be the consensus top two; Patrick, touted for his hockey IQ, has been the projected No. 1 pick for months but don’t be surprised if the order ends up flipping as Hischier has impressed with his elite brand of skill and competitiveness.

"They are both gonna be stars in the National Hockey League one day and sooner rather than later," said NHL Central Scouting Director Dan Marr.

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Neither is guaranteed to be skating in the league next season unlike the previous two drafts when it was clear McDavid and Matthews were NHL-ready. And while the 2017 class doesn’t feature a talent like those two, what’s unique about this year’s first round is how little separation there seems to be after Patrick and Hischier.

“If somebody went 15th or third, I don’t think it’d be jaw-dropping,” said Tim Bernhardt, the Coyotes' director of amateur scouting.

That unpredictability means the Coyotes could have some flexibility when it comes to their pick if their preference gets snagged earlier or remains undrafted along with a player they might have anticipated being taken already.

Either way, it looks like the team has options – which always includes trading up or down.

But if they retain the pick, here are five players the Coyotes may find available at No. 7.

Timothy Liljegren, defense, Rogle (Sweden)

Defense remains a work in progress for the Coyotes and while they’re unlikely to find immediate help in the draft, stocking up for the future can’t hurt. Especially on the right side. Cue the smooth-skating Liljegren, who’s also strong and a solid shooter.

Cale Makar, defense, Brooks (Alberta Junior Hockey League)

Think playmaker from the back end. Makar had 75 points, including 24 goals, in 54 games. He can move the puck, a trait that suggests he’ll be able to succeed in the NHL.

Casey Mittelstadt, center, Eden Prairie High School (Minnesota)

The Coyotes have drafted a center with each of their last two top picks but with 2016 seventh-overall selection Clayton Keller looking like a winger, maybe the team decides to bring in another pivot. Mittelstadt scored 21 goals in 25 games with his high-school team and also averaged more than a point-per-game during a stint in the United States Hockey League. Quick, dynamic, smart – Mittlestadt has the tools to be a dangerous offensive player for years to come.

Michael Rasmussen, center, Tri-City (Western Hockey League)

Although his season ended early after he broke his wrist, Rasmussen is still considered a top prospect. At 6 feet, 6 inches and 215 pounds, Rasmussen has size and muscle to be a power forward – perhaps on the wing in the NHL. “He plays around the front of the net very well," Bernhardt said.

Owen Tippett, right wing, Mississauga (Ontario Hockey League)

After racking up 44 goals in 60 games, Tippett’s strength is clear. He’s a goal scorer. And Tippett – who isn’t related to Coyotes coach Dave Tippett – being a right-handed shot could be appealing to the Coyotes since that’s one area on the depth chart that could use attention.

“He’s probably the best goal scorer in the draft,” Bernhardt said.

In total, the Coyotes currently have seven selections for the 2017 draft including another first-rounder that was added in a pre-deadline trade with the Wild that sent center Martin Hanzal to Minnesota.

Where that pick ends up will be finalized after the second round of the playoffs wraps as the last four teams competing will take Nos. 28-31. And a first-round exit by Minnesota ensured it would be higher than that range.

“That’s a terrific spot for them to have an extra pick because they’re definitely going to get a player that’s much higher on their list,” Marr said. “They’re going to be ecstatic after the first day.”

Reach the reporter at sarah.mclellan@arizonarepublic.com or 602-444-8276. Follow her at twitter.com/azc_mclellan.

How the NHL draft lottery worked

The NHL used a lottery to determine draft selections for the 14 non-playoff teams and the league’s newest franchise, the Vegas Golden Knights.

Vegas had the third-best odds of winning the lottery at 10.3 percent, which was the same as the team that finished 28th (Coyotes).

In the first drawing, the Devils had the fifth-best odds of being selected based on inverse order of regular-season finish (8.5 percent). This was the third time in draft lottery history a team has moved from five to one and most recent since the Blackhawks did so in 2007 before drafting winger Patrick Kane.

Odds for the remaining teams increased on a proportionate basis for the ensuring drawings based on which organization won the previous one. Once a team won a pick, it was ineligible for further participation in other potential drawings but no re-draws were required.

In the second drawing, the Flyers had the 12th-greatest percentage likelihood among the 14 remaining clubs eligible for selection at 2.4 percent and climbed from No. 13 to No. 2. The Flyers also became the first team from as low as the No. 13 spot to win a drawing.

And in the third drawing, the Stars had the seventh-best chance among the 13 remaining teams (6.5 percent) after dropping from No. 8 to No. 9 as a result of the second drawing.

2017 NHL draft order (non-playoff teams)

1. New Jersey Devils

2. Philadelphia Flyers

3. Dallas Stars

4. Colorado Avalanche

5. Vancouver Canucks

6. Vegas Golden Knights

7. Arizona Coyotes

8. Buffalo Sabres

9. Detroit Red Wings

10. Florida Panthers

11. Los Angeles Kings

12. Carolina Hurricanes

13. Winnipeg Jets

14. Tampa Bay Lightning

15. New York Islanders