Final NHL draft lottery odds: Sharks have best chance at No. 1 pick
The lottery odds for the 2025 NHL draft are set.
The San Jose Sharks have the best chance to land the No. 1 pick for the second consecutive year. The Sharks selected Macklin Celebrini last summer with the top selection.
Two lottery winners are drawn. Teams can move up a maximum of 10 spots, which means only the top 11 seeds can win the first overall pick.
Erie Otters defenseman Matthew Schaefer topped NHL Central Scouting's final North American rankings. Saginaw Spirit center Michael Misa followed closely in second on the heels of a 62-goal season in the OHL.
Here's a breakdown of the complete odds:
The Sharks own a 25.5% chance of selecting first overall, as the teams ranked 12th and lower can't jump them with a lottery win.
Teams can't improve their draft position in the lottery more than twice in a five-year span. If the Chicago Blackhawks win the first overall pick, they'll be ineligible to win the draft lottery in 2026 and 2027. The team improved its position through the lottery in 2023 and selected Connor Bedard.
The Rangers' first-round pick was traded to the Vancouver Canucks in the J.T. Miller deal. It was then flipped to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Marcus Pettersson and Drew O'Connor. The selection is top-13 protected, but New York can still elect to give the pick to Pittsburgh if it's in the top 13. Should the Rangers decide to keep the selection, the Penguins instead receive New York's unprotected 2026 first-rounder.
The Canadiens landed Calgary's selection in the Sean Monahan trade.
The draft lottery is expected to take place May 5 or 6, according to TSN's Chris Johnston.