Monday`s NHL Draft Lottery produced some unexpected outcomes, with teams having lower initial odds making significant leaps.
The New York Islanders surprisingly landed the first overall pick, despite entering the lottery with only the tenth-best probability of securing the top selection.
The Utah Hockey Club also moved up considerably on the draft board. They won the lottery`s second draw, having started the night with the 14th-best odds.
However, due to lottery regulations limiting teams to a maximum jump of 10 positions, Utah`s pick will be fourth overall in the 2025 NHL Draft.
This means the San Jose Sharks, who held the best odds (25.5%) for the first overall pick, will slide back just one spot to number two. The Chicago Blackhawks will select third overall.
The 2025 NHL Entry Draft is scheduled to take place on June 27-28.
Here is the finalized order for the first 16 selections following the lottery drawing:
- New York Islanders
- San Jose Sharks
- Chicago Blackhawks
- Utah Hockey Club
- Nashville Predators
- Philadelphia Flyers
- Boston Bruins
- Seattle Kraken
- Buffalo Sabres
- Anaheim Ducks
- Pittsburgh Penguins
- New York Rangers
- Detroit Red Wings
- Columbus Blue Jackets
- Vancouver Canucks
- Montreal Canadiens (acquired in trade with Calgary Flames)