After a dreadful season that saw them finish as the eighth-worst team in the NHL, the Washington Capitals will have a chance, albeit super small, to win the Draft Lottery for the first time since 2004.

To dissuade tanking, the NHL gives the 11 worst-finishing teams lotto balls, where if Lady Luck strikes, it will allow them to move up 10 spots or fewer to land the first overall pick, which is expected to be Connor Bedard.

Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan is keenly aware of this possibility but does not want to allow himself to think about that wonderful what-if. (It’s kind of like not uttering the word shutout while a goalie is pitching a shutout.)

While speaking to the media on Breakdown Day, MacLellan admitted he knew about the popular Draft Lottery simulator by Tankathon, but will never use the app himself out of superstition.

Here was the full conversation:

Q: Have you played the draft lottery simulator?

Brian MacLellan: No I haven’t. I refuse to do it. I have a lot of people that are sending me results (he chuckles, media laughs), but I’m not going to do it. (Chuckles again) It’s amazing how well we’ve done! (All laugh)

Q: Will you go to the lottery?

Brian MacLellan: I think we’re going to do it here so they’re going to do it remote. So I think there’s a camera, right? And we’ll see our results as they come in.

Q: Do you have any good luck charms?

Brian MacLellan: No, I don’t. I’ll have to find one.

May I suggest driving to Capital One Arena, taking Braden Holtby’s The Save stick out of its glass display, and then petting it like it’s a lap cat during the Draft Lottery results show?

Anyways, Brian. I totally get it. But dude, look what I came up with when I tried the simulator!

Second attempt. Just sayin. pic.twitter.com/gcCA69M4Cq

— Ian Oland (@ianoland) April 18, 2023

(Let’s just ignore my first attempt which saw the Capitals move back a spot to ninth.)