The New York Islanders made a major jump, won the NHL Draft Lottery on Monday night and secured the right to the first pick at the draft on June 27. The San Jose Sharks, Chicago Blackhawks, Utah Hockey Club and Nashville Predators will round out the top five of the draft.
Entering the lottery, based on the regular-season standings, the Islanders had only a 3.5 percent chance of landing the winning combination of lottery-ball numbers. Before the fourth and final ball, their odds had risen to 18.2 percent, same as San Jose, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.
The Islanders currently are without a general manager after announcing the departure of Lou Lamoriello last month. Now, they have another big decision to make.
Utah also made a significant jump. Utah “won” the second lottery draw, but because a team can only move up 10 spots from its pre-lottery position, Utah went from No. 14 to No. 4. That allowed the Sharks, who had the league’s worst record this season, to settle into the No. 2 pick.
After Utah at No. 4, the first round retained its pre-lottery order — but with most teams dropping either one or two spots. Nashville is at No. 5, followed by Philadelphia, Boston, Seattle, Buffalo, Anaheim, Pittsburgh, the New York Rangers, Detroit, Columbus, Vancouver and Montreal (via trade).
Two Ontario Hockey League (OHL) prospects are considered the best players in a class lacking a consensus top pick. Matthew Schaefer, a left-shot defenseman from the Erie Otters, and Michael Misa, a center from the Saginaw Spirit, emerged over the past 12 months to separate themselves from a pack that also features James Hagens, a center from Boston College (NCAA); Porter Martone, a right winger from the Brampton Steelheads (OHL); Caleb Desnoyers, a center from the Moncton Wildcats (Quebec Major Junior Hockey League); and Swedish center Anton Frondell.
None of these prospects is considered a generational talent, but Schaefer and Misa generally are viewed as players who can make significant impacts when they fully mature and develop.
Check out the latest prospect rankings from The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler and Corey Pronman.
The lottery was conducted live from the NHL Network studios in Secaucus, N.J., on Monday night. The San Jose Sharks (18.5 percent), Chicago Blackhawks (13.5 percent) and Nashville Predators (11.5 percent) had the best odds to win.
The Pittsburgh Penguins could own two first-round picks. The New York Rangers must notify the Penguins within 48 hours of the draft if they intend to keep their first-round pick or transfer it to Pittsburgh. If the Rangers choose to keep their pick, the Penguins instead will receive the Rangers’ first-round pick in 2026.
A 2022 trade between the Calgary Flames and Montreal Canadiens also impacted this draft. By finishing outside the top 10 in the lottery drawings, the Flames will transfer their first-round pick to the Canadiens.
The draft is scheduled for June 27-28 at Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles. Breaking from tradition, the majority of team personnel will not attend. Instead, teams will run draft rooms in their respective cities — a move made by the NHL at the behest of general managers, who argued it would significantly cut costs.
Commissioner Gary Bettman has not committed to sticking with this year’s setup for future drafts. Bettman recently suggested that the cost savings are minimal to teams, and his preference is for a centralize draft, similar to ones that have turned the event into a marquee attraction on the NHL calendar.
(Photo of Michael Misa: Kevin Sousa / Getty Images)
