On Facebook
On Flipboard
On Twitter
NHL makes big change to draft lottery that should silence conspiracies
The NHL is making a big change for its 2025 NHL Draft Lottery on Monday, May 5. Instead of holding the actual drawing behind the scenes and then revealing the results, the league is going to televise the actual drawing of the lottery balls so that fans can find out the results in real time just as the teams do.
The broadcast of the 2025 #NHLDraft Lottery on May 5 will, for the first time in its 30-year history, feature the drawing live in-studio, allowing viewers to follow along and learn results at the same time as the Draft Lottery participants.
— NHL Public Relations (@NHLPR) May 2, 2025
Details: https://t.co/hdzIggFNW3 pic.twitter.com/3wL5TXbLIF
This is a major shift in process and should go a long way toward trying to silence the constant conspiracy theories that the results can be rigged in favor of certain teams.
The lottery will be conducted in two phases to determine the draft order.
The first drawing determines the winner of the No. 1 overall pick, while the second drawing determines the No. 2 overall pick.
More from the NHL on that process:
In each phase 14 balls, numbered 1 to 14, will be placed into a lottery machine with four drawn. The resulting four-digit series is matched against a look-up table that lists the 1,000 possible combinations to determine which team was assigned the winning combination.
The look-up table of the 1,000 four-digit combinations assigned to each team participating in the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery is available on NHL.com. The table also lists combinations by team.
As each ball is drawn, odds change and teams are eliminated. The viewing audience will learn who is still in the running in real time.
There is a limit on the total number of selections (10) a team participating in the Draft Lottery can “move up” in the event it wins one of the Lottery Draws. Thus, only the top 11 seeds will be eligible to receive the first overall selection in the 2025 NHL Draft.
Even though there has never been anything to validate the claims, fans have occasionally felt the league would want to get top prospects into more desirable markets (Sidney Crosby to Pittsburgh; Connor Bedard to Chicago; Connor McDavid to a Canadian market; New York moving up any time it has a chance).
There are 11 teams in the lottery that are eligible to win the No. 1 overall pick.
They are, in order of highest odds:
1. San Jose Sharks (25.5%)
2. Chicago Blackhawks (13.5%)
3. Nashville Predators (11.5%)
4. Philadelphia Flyers (9.5%)
5. Boston Bruins (8.5%)
6. Seattle Kraken (7.5%)
7. Buffalo Sabres (6.5%)
8. Anaheim Ducks (6.0%)
9. Pittsburgh Penguins (5.0%)
10. New York Islanders (3.5%)
11. New York Rangers (3.0%)
The Detroit Red Wings, Columbus Blue Jackets, Utah Hockey Club, Vancouver Canucks and Montreal Canadiens (owners of Calgary's first-round pick) all have a 2% chance or less of winning, but a win for them would only allow them to move up 10 spots. Meaning Detroit could not pick higher than second, Columbus could not pick higher than third, Utah could not pick higher than fourth, Vancouver could not pick higher than fifth and Montreal could not pick higher than sixth.
The New York Rangers' first-round pick could belong to the Penguins as part of a sequence of trades earlier in the season. The Rangers traded that pick to Vancouver for J.T. Miller, with Vancouver then trading it to Pittsburgh for Marcus Pettersson and Drew O'Connor. There is a condition on that pick that makes it top-13 protected, meaning if it falls in the top-13 (which it will), the Rangers can keep the pick this season and send their unprotected 2026 first-round pick to Pittsburgh instead.
This year's class does not have a sure-thing top prospect, but there are still some very high-end prospects at the top of the class. Defenseman Matthew Schaefer and forwards Michael Misa and James Hagens figure to all be in the running for the top pick and the top three players to get their names called.
More must-reads:
- One move for every NHL team that missed the playoffs
- Watch: Wild's Marc-Andre Fleury gets send-off following final NHL game
- The 'NHL active short-handed goals leaders' quiz
Breaking News
Trending News
Customize Your Newsletter
+
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!
TODAY'S BEST
Rangers sign veteran winger to PTO
In an effort to extend his NHL career, veteran winger Conor Sheary has agreed to a professional tryout (PTO) with the New York Rangers, per the NY Post’s Mollie Walker. Sheary has played in 593 games throughout his 10-year career, posting 124 goals and 267 points. He has also shown an ability to elevate his game in big moments during the playoffs, as evidenced by his contributions to the Pittsburgh Penguins’ back-to-back Stanley Cup wins early in his career, when he often played a key role alongside Sidney Crosby. Notably, some of his best professional seasons came in Pittsburgh under head coach Mike Sullivan. After signing a five-year deal in May to lead the Rangers, Sullivan is bringing in a familiar face as he looks to implement a new game plan in New York. However, Sheary has struggled in recent years. After producing just 15 points in 57 games with the Tampa Bay Lightning during the 2023-24 season—his lowest output since his rookie year—he dressed in only five games last season with the team. He spent the majority of his year with Tampa’s AHL affiliate, the Syracuse Crunch, where he produced 20 goals and 61 points in 59 games. Sheary, 33, will now look to rejuvenate his career with the Rangers, a team in the midst of transition. Beyond the obvious changes that come with a new head coach, the team has also seen longtime staples Chris Kreider and K’Andre Miller depart, while adding forward Taylor Raddysh and prospect Carey Terrance. While PTOs are anything but guaranteed, Sheary’s history of producing quality offense, combined with his relationship with Sullivan, should give him a strong chance to make the opening night roster.
Cowboys make questionable move amid Micah Parsons stalemate
The Dallas Cowboys extended one of their stars Sunday, just not the one fans wanted them to pay. At Cowboys training camp Saturday, Dallas fans serenaded owner Jerry Jones with "Pay Micah [Parsons]" chants. The EDGE, of course, is set to play on the fifth-year option of his rookie contract this season. Jones must not have been listening. He gave tight end Jake Ferguson a new contract instead. Dallas and the 26-year-old pass-catcher agreed to a four-year, $52M contract extension, via NFL Media's Ian Rapoport. This move seems head-scratching. Parsons has won the 2021 Defensive Rookie of the Year and earned two first-team All-Pro nods since the Cowboys took him with pick No. 12 in the 2021 NFL Draft. The 26-year-old EDGE also finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting during the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Ferguson, meanwhile, is solid but not elite. In three seasons with the Cowboys, the 2022 fourth-round pick has made one Pro Bowl and has never finished with more than 761 receiving yards in a season. An extension for Parsons will devour future cap space. The Cowboys may be worried about that after giving quarterback Dak Prescott (four years, $240M) and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (four years, $136M) long-term deals in 2024. Pittsburgh Steelers EDGE T.J. Watt signed a lucrative three-year, $123M extension on July 17, making him the league's highest-paid non-QB. Parsons could command a similar contract. If cap space is Dallas' primary concern, however, why would it extend Ferguson? He's now set to be the NFL's seventh-highest-paid TE. The Cowboys waited to extend Lamb and Prescott just before the start of the 2024 season. They may be doing the same with Parsons. The star defender has said, "Ownership is always gonna make [contract negotiations] drag out." Regardless, the Cowboys should've paid Parsons before Ferguson. That's a much bigger priority for the team.
Mets Make Mark Vientos Decision After Luis Robert Jr. Trade Report
Right-handed slugger Mark Vientos is in his fourth season with the New York Mets after making his debut in 2022. The 24-year-old emerged as a rising star for New York last year, playing 111 games and posting career highs with a .266 batting average and an .837 OPS. He also elevated his performance in the 2024 postseason, batting .327 with 18 hits, five home runs, 14 RBIs and eight runs scored in 13 games, leading the Mets to an NLCS appearance. Vientos recently recovered from a right hamstring strain that sidelined him for a few weeks in June, but since then he has really struggled to return to form and regain his production at the plate. Ahead of Sunday’s series finale against the San Francisco Giants, the Mets decided to bench Vientos (the second time in the last three games). The decision to leave him out of the lineup came after Bob Nightengale reported that the Chicago White Sox require Vientos to be involved in any trade for center fielder Luis Robert Jr. Mets general manager David Stearns recently said the Mets will be “engaged” when it comes to possibly adding a center fielder, so addressing that outfield need and Vientos losing playing time may push the organization to part ways with him. In 2025, Vientos is hitting .226 with a .638 OPS, six home runs and 27 RBIs, a steep drop-off in production after his breakout year. He will remain under team control for five more seasons after 2025 and will not hit free agency until 2030.
Cleveland Guardians Slapped With Bad News Before Trade Deadline
The Cleveland Guardians are quite a mystery heading into the MLB trade deadline, as no one seems to know whether they will buy, sell or possibly even do nothing before July 31. The Guardians are hovering around .500, but they are still smack dab in the middle of the American League Wild Card race. That's in spite of losing 10 straight just before the All-Star break. Even with Cleveland remaining in contention, there are some who believe the Guardians might sell given their conservative nature, but talk show host Bruce Drennan has provided some rather bad news for the team in that regard: the players they might want to move don't have much value. “No top prospects for a big bat, and I don’t necessarily see us selling players, like Carlos Santana or Lane Thomas. What can you get in return?” Drennan said. Drennan has a point. Santana and Thomas are both impending free agents, and neither has been all that good this season. Santana owns a .665 OPS, and Thomas has been on and off the injured list while hitting just .160 on the year. Of course, the Guardians would surely be able to land a hefty return for players like Steven Kwan and Emmanuel Clase, but it does not seem like Cleveland is going to move either of those two stars. Perhaps the Guardians will surprise some people and go all in by adding pieces at the deadline, but that isn't exactly in their nature. We'll see what happens before the end of the months, but it stands to reason that Cleveland might just stand pat, as Drennan anticipates. Read More Cleveland Guardians Coverage
PRIVACY POLICY EDITORIAL POLICY CONTACT US
ABOUT YARDBARKER TERMS OF SERVICE
Use of this website (including any and all parts and
components) constitutes your acceptance of these
Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
This site is for entertainment purposes only.
There is no gambling offered on this site.
Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-Gambler.
