The New York Islanders had a rough season, but they got a win on Monday.
The NHL draft lottery was held Monday as 11 teams anxiously awaited to hear their name called to find out who would get the No. 1 draft pick later this year. Ultimately, the Islanders landed the top pick.
While all 16 teams that didn’t make the playoffs were included in the draft lottery, only the top 11 seeds were eligible for the first pick because teams cannot move up more than 10 spots. The San Jose Sharks, who won the draft lottery a year ago, had the best odds to win the lottery at 25.5 percent, per the NHL.
The Islanders had just the 10th-best odds at 3.5 percent but still managed to jump to No. 1. The Utah Hockey Club had a similarly impressive jump as they had the 14th-best odds at 1.5 percent but moved up to No. 4.
Here’s a look at the top 16 picks in this year’s draft:
2025 NHL Draft Lottery Order
Last year, Macklin Celebrini was the clear favorite to go first overall, and the Sharks ended up taking him at No. 1. This year, the top pick isn’t as cut and dry.
The two prospects that jump out the most are left winger Michael Misa and defenseman Matthew Schaefer. Misa, 18, plays for the Saginaw Spirit of the Ontario Hockey League while Schaefer, 17, plays for the Erie Otters of the OHL.
Bleacher Report’s Hannah Stuart considers Misa to be the No. 1 prospect and Schaefer is just behind him at No. 2.
There’s a case to be made for both prospects and a team can’t go wrong landing either.
Misa is an elite goal scorer already, reaching the 50-goal mark in 50 games in the OHL. That mark is the second-fastest among draft-eligible players in the OHL in the past 25 seasons. He also has breakneck speed that allows him to burn defenders and get to the goal or set his teammates up on offense.
Schaefer has good size at 6’2″ and 188 pounds, and he’ll only get stronger as he gets older and joins an NHL roster. He also has solid speed for his position but doesn’t sacrifice his power or balance. All-in-all, he’s an NHL-ready talent that won’t even turn 18 until September.
