NHL Draft Lottery Set, Top Prospects Named

The NHL Draft Lottery will be held on May 5 at the NHL Network studios in Secaucus, New Jersey, and aired on ESPN, determining the order of the first 16 picks for the 2025 NHL Draft. Only the bottom 11 teams can move up to the first overall pick due to a 10-spot limit, with the San Jose Sharks holding the best odds at 25.5% for a second straight year, followed by the Chicago Blackhawks, Nashville Predators, Philadelphia Flyers, and Boston Bruins. The draft class is widely considered weaker at the top, with defenseman Matthew Schaefer and center Michael Misa leading North American skater rankings and no clear generational talent. The lottery will have two phases to decide the first and second selections, while the rest of the order will follow reverse regular season standings. Trades involving conditional first-round picks could still change the final draft order. The 2025 NHL Draft itself is scheduled for June 27-28 at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.