SAN JOSE — The NHL Draft Lottery will be held on Monday in Secaucus, N.J., and once again, the San Jose Sharks will be the main attraction.
After finishing with the NHL’s fewest points for the second straight year, the Sharks will have the best chance — 25.5% — of winning the lottery and earning the right to select first overall. Last year, the Sharks finished last in the league, won the lottery, and selected center Macklin Celebrini with the No. 1 pick.
The Sharks also have an 18.8% chance of having the second overall pick and a 55.7% chance of having the third overall selection. They cannot fall out of the top three.
This year, the best player available is widely considered to be Matthew Schaefer, the Erie Otters defenseman who, according to Central Scouting, ranks No. 1 among North American skaters.
“He is the best available prospect at his position, and the results he achieves with his combination of speed, skills, and size give him the edge for the No. 1 spot,” Central Scouting director Dan Marr told NHL.com. “While his game is still maturing, he’s playing a style that will transition well once he gets his NHL opportunity.”
Other top players available include Saginaw’s Michael Misa and Boston College’s James Hagens, who are second and third, respectively, on Central Scouting’s list of North American skaters. Swedish forward Anton Frondell leads all international-based skaters.
Sharks general manager Mike Grier said earlier this month that he is open to trading his first draft pick if the right deal comes.
The lottery will be broadcast on ESPN at a time to be announced later this week.
The lottery is conducted in two phases, the first to determine the first overall pick and the second to determine the No. 2 pick. There is a limit on the total number of selections (10) that a team participating in the draft lottery can “move up” if it wins one of the lottery draws. Thus, only the top 11 seeds will be eligible for the first overall pick.
For each of the two drawings, 14 ping pong balls, numbered 1 through 14, are placed in a lottery machine. That allows for 1,001 possible combinations (one combination is deleted to make it an even 1,000). Each lottery team is assigned a certain number of four-number combinations. The Sharks have 185 combinations, more than any other team.
The lottery machine selects four balls, and the resulting four-number series is matched against a chart showing every possible combination. The team that has that combination wins the lottery.
The NHL Draft will be at L.A. Live’s Peacock Theater. The first round will be held on June 27, starting at 4 p.m. PT, and the second through seventh rounds are on June 28, starting at 9 a.m. PT. Tickets to the event will be available for purchase at www.axs.com/series/27389/nhl-draft-tickets starting on Monday at 10 a.m. PT.
Odds to receive the No. 1 overall draft pick
San Jose Sharks 25.5%
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%
* Under the terms of a Jan. 31, 2025 trade between the Rangers and Vancouver Canucks, the Rangers will transfer their first-round pick in either the 2025 or 2026 draft to Vancouver, at NY Rangers’ option.