Context:

The New York Islanders secured the first overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery, despite having only a 3.5 percent chance of winning, marking their first top pick since 2010. Meanwhile, the Utah Hockey Club, with a mere 1.5 percent chance, ascended to the fourth overall pick, showcasing a surprising leap in the draft order. This year's draft lottery was aired live for the first time, allowing fans to witness the process and results in real-time. The Sharks and Blackhawks, despite having the worst records for the second consecutive year, could not convert their standings into top picks. Canadian defenseman Matthew Schaefer is expected to be the consensus No. 1 pick in the upcoming draft in June.

Dive Deeper:

• The Islanders, with only a 3.5 percent chance, surprisingly won the first overall pick, their first since drafting John Tavares in 2010, after finishing the season with the 10th-worst record in the NHL.

• Utah Hockey Club moved up to the fourth spot with a 1.5 percent chance, emphasizing their unexpected success in the lottery, having finished just shy of a playoff position with 89 points.

• For the first time, the NHL conducted the draft lottery draw live on television, providing transparency and allowing fans to engage with the process as it unfolded.

• The Sharks and Blackhawks, who had the worst records in the league for the second year running, failed to secure the top picks, highlighting the unpredictability of the lottery system.

• Matthew Schaefer, a standout Canadian defenseman from the OHL, is anticipated to be the top overall pick, indicating high expectations for his entry into the NHL.

• The lottery rules stipulate that only the 11 worst teams can select first overall, with the rest able to move up a maximum of 10 spots, maintaining a balance between performance and chance.

• In keeping with the rules, no team can pick first more than twice in five years, ensuring a distribution of opportunities among struggling teams in successive drafts.

• On Monday night, the Islanders hit the jackpot.

• Entering the NHL Draft lottery with just a 3.5 percent chance to win, the New York Islanders were the night's big winner, coming away with the first overall pick. It comes 16 years after New York last picked first overall, when the team drafted John Tavares in 2010.

• However, the Islanders weren't the only team with a lucky draw. The Utah Hockey Club, who had a 1.5 percent chance to move up in the lottery, won the second draw of the night and will pick fourth overall in June,

• For the first time this year, the lottery draw was done live on TV, as viewers saw the process play out in real time. So, Islanders fans and Utah fans got to see their hopes improve as the draw went on, leading to the reveal where both franchises won their respective draws.

• The New York Islanders have won the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery! 🤩 pic.twitter.com/iFonWo7Pgz

• — Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 5, 2025 The Islanders finished the season with the 10th-worst record in the NHL, as their 82 points were nine back of the Canadiens for the final playoff spot. Utah, meanwhile, had 89 points and was just seven away from the Blues for the final spot in the west.

• With those teams moving up, the Sharks and Blackhawks were unable to capitalise on their poor seasons. Those two teams finished with the two worst records in the NHL for the second-straight season, but unlike last year, they couldn't parlay it into the top two picks.

• This year's consensus No. 1 overall pick is Canadian defenseman Matthew Schaefer, who played in the OHL last year.

• The Sporting News tracked the results of the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery. 

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• NHL Draft lottery results 2025

  Pick	Team
  No. 1	New York Islanders
  No. 2	San Jose Sharks
  No. 3	Chicago Blackhawks
  No. 4	Utah Hockey Club
  No. 5	Nashville Predators
  No. 6	Philadelphia Flyers
  No. 7	Boston Bruins
  No. 8	Seattle Kraken
  No. 9	Buffalo Sabres
  No. 10	Anaheim Ducks
  No. 11	Pittsburgh Penguins
  No. 12	New York Rangers
  No. 13	Detroit Red Wings
  No. 14	Columbus Blue Jackets
  No. 15	Vancouver Canucks
  No. 16	Montreal Canadiens (via Calgary Flames)

  MORE: Latest 2025 NHL mock drafts from experts

• NHL Draft lottery rules

  Here's how the NHL lottery draw works: A lottery machine will have a set of 14 ping pong balls, allowing for a maximum number of 1,001 combinations of digits, . Each team will receive a number of four-digit combinations that correlate to its odds of winning the lottery multiplied by 10.

• So, for example, the team with the best odds to win the lottery has an 18.5% chance and 185 possible four-digit combinations. Additionally, there will be one four-digit combination that belongs to no team and will be deleted from the lottery.

• The NHL teams that didn't make the playoffs will have an opportunity to move up in the lottery. However, after a rule change in 2021, only the 11 worst teams can select first, as teams 12-16 can only jump up 10 spots in the order. Therefore, if a team ranked 12-16 wins the lottery, then they will select 2-6 and the team with the highest odds to win the lottery selects No. 1.

• There will then be a second draw for the second overall pick where the same rules apply. Teams 13-16 can only jump up to picks 3-6, so if any of those teams win, the team with the next best odds will select second.

• From there, the teams will slot into the rest of the open draft spots based on their final standings. The lottery only applies to the first round, as rounds 2-7 will be ordered based on reverse standings order.

• This year, for the first time in NHL history, the league will show the draw live on air instead of in secret before revealing the results.

• Additionally, by rule, no team can pick first in the draft more than twice in a five-year span. So, if the Sharks, Blackhawks or Sabres win the lottery, they will be ineligible to pick first next year, and for San Jose and Chicago, ineligible through 2029 and 2028, respectively.

• NHL Draft lottery odds to win No. 1 pick

  Each team's odds in the 2025 draft lottery represent that team's chances of moving up in the lottery. However, only teams with the 11-best odds can earn the No. 1 overall pick, as teams can only rise 10 spots in the lottery. The teams with the 12th-16th best odds can only pick as high as 2-6, respectively, if they "win" the lottery.

• The NHL lottery odds have a reverse-standings order, as the team with the least number of points this year has the highest odds to win. On the other end, the best team to miss the playoffs this year will have the lowest odds to move up in the lottery. 

• Last year, the Sharks had the worst record in the NHL but won the draft lottery to draft Macklin Celebrini. San Jose is hoping life repeats itself this year, as the Sharks have the highest odds during the 2025 draft lottery on Monday night after finishing the season with a league-low 52 points in 2024-25.

• Team	Odds
  San Jose Sharks	18.5%
  Chicago Blackhawks	13.5%
  Nashville Predators	11.5%
  Philadelphia Flyers	9.5%
  Boston Bruins	8.5%
  Seattle Kraken	7.5%
  Buffalo Sabres	6.5%
  Anaheim Ducks	6.0%
  Pittsburgh Penguins	5.0%
  New York Islanders	3.5%
  New York Rangers	3.0%
  Detroit Red Wings	2.5%
  Columbus Blue Jackets	2.0%
  Utah Hockey Club	1.5%
  Vancouver Canucks	0.5%
  Montreal Canadiens	0.5%

  STREAM: Watch the 2025 NHL Draft lottery live with Fubo (free trial)

• When is the NHL Draft lottery 2025?

  • Date: Monday, May 5
  • Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
  This year's draft lottery will occur on Monday at 7:00 p.m. ET on ESPN before the Maple Leafs and Panthers play Game 1 of their second-round series.