The NHL’s non-playoff teams will learn Monday night where they will draft, and they will learn in real time.
Previously, the draft lottery drawing would take place off camera before the televised show and deputy commissioner Bill Daly would be handed cards with team logos on them. He would turn over the cards in inverse order until the winner was confirmed.
But this year, the drawing will be shown live for the first time during the show at Secaucus, New Jersey. Everyone will be able to see the lottery balls as they are drawn.
The first and second picks in the draft will be determined in the lottery. Here is how to watch the draft lottery, each team’s odds, how the process works and top prospects:
When is the NHL draft lottery?
The NHL draft lottery will be held at 7 p.m. ET at the NHL Network’s studio in Secaucus, New Jersey.
How can I watch the NHL draft lottery?
The NHL draft lottery will be broadcast by ESPN.
How can I stream the NHL draft lottery?
It can be streamed on ESPN+ and on services that carry ESPN, such as Fubo.
Draft lottery odds
The draft lottery winner can move up a maximum of 10 spots, so only the bottom 11 teams have a chance to win the No. 1 pick. The last-place team has an 18.5% chance of winning outright, plus would retain the first overall pick if a team that finishes 12th to 16th from the bottom wins the lottery. The Rangers dealt their pick to Vancouver in the J.T. Miller trade but it’s top-13 protected. If the Flames win one of the drawings, the Canadiens would get the Panthers’ first-round pick instead.
San Jose Sharks – 25.5% (18.5% outright)
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 (from Calgary Flames) – 0.5%
How does the draft lottery work?
There are two drawings, first for a chance at the top pick and then for a chance at the second pick. Winning teams can move up only 10 spots. The last-place team can draft no lower than third overall. Beginning with the 2022 lottery, a team cannot win more than twice in a five-year period.
There are 14 balls, numbered 1 to 14, in the machine and each team is assigned a series of four numbers. The resulting four-digit series is matched against a table that lists the 1,000 possible combinations to determine which team was assigned the winning combination. The lower a team is in the standings, the more series of numbers it gets. The last-place Sharks will be assigned 185 numbers.
Who is the top prospect?
Defenseman Matthew Schaefer is the top-ranked North American skater in NHL Central Scouting’s final rankings of 2025 draft prospects, despite not playing since the world junior hockey championship in December.
He scored 22 points in 17 games with the Erie (Pennsylvania) Otters and had two points in two games at the tournament before breaking his collarbone and missing the rest of the tournament and the season.
“He is the complete package playing a dynamic style that generates results and influences the outcome of games,’ said Dan Marr, vice president of NHL Central Scouting. ‘Schaefer easily projects as a future All-Star in the NHL.”
Top North American skaters
Erie (OHL) defenseman Matthew Schaefer
Saginaw (OHL) center Michael Misa
Boston College center James Hagens
Brantford (OHL) center Jake O’Brien
Seattle (WHL) defenseman Radim Mrtka
Brampton (OHL) right wing Porter Martone
Moncton (QMJHL) center Caleb Desnoyers
Brandon (WHL) center Roger McQueen
Barrie (OHL) defenseman Kashawn Aitcheson
Everett (WHL) left wing Carter Bear
Top international skaters
Djurgarden (Sweden) center Anton Frondell
Djurgarden (Sweden) right wing Victor Eklund
Modo Jr. (Sweden) Milton Gastrin
Karlovy Vary (Czechia) left wing Vojtech Cihar
Ufa Jr. (Russia) right wing Alexander Zharovsky
When is the NHL draft?
The 2025 NHL Draft will be held June 27-28. The first round will be on June 27 and rounds 2-7 will be held the next day. The times haven’t been announced yet. It will be held in Los Angeles at L.A. Live’s Peacock Theater. Top prospects will be there, but not team representatives, who will take part virtually.
