The NHL Draft Lottery is set to take place at NHL Network studios in Secaucus, New Jersey. The lottery will determine the order of selection for the first 16 picks for the clubs that failed to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The team holding the winning combination will have the opportunity to select a franchise-altering forward.
Top Teams in the Lottery
The Vancouver Canucks have the best odds to win the lottery at 18.5 percent. Following the Canucks are the Chicago Blackhawks at 13.5 percent and the New York Rangers at 11.5 percent.
Last year, the New York Islanders won the lottery and selected Matthew Schaefer with the No. 1 pick of the 2025 NHL Draft. Schaefer ranked second among NHL defensemen this season with 23 goals in 82 games.
Format of the Lottery
Fans will be able to watch the lottery balls being drawn live on TV. There will be two drawings, one to determine the No. 1 pick and a second to determine the No. 2 choice.
No team can move up more than 10 spots in the draft order, meaning only the top 11 teams in the lottery are eligible for the No. 1 pick. If a team outside the top 11 wins, the team with the worst record in the NHL will pick No. 1.
Potential Top Picks
Gavin McKenna of Penn State University or Ivar Stenberg of Frolunda of the Swedish Hockey League could be the No. 1 selection. They are different players with different paths and different styles who each offer the promise of changing the long-term trajectory of an NHL organisation.
McKenna is No. 1 on NHL Central Scouting’s final ranking of North American skaters eligible for the 2026 NHL Draft. The 18-year-old finished tied for fifth in the NCAA with 51 points (15 goals, 36 assists) and was second with 1.46 points per game in 35 games this season.
He could be the first men’s ice hockey player from Penn State to be selected in the first round of the NHL Draft.
The Upper Deck 2026 NHL Draft will be held at KeyBank Center in Buffalo. The first round will be June 26, with rounds 2-7 on June 27.