Islanders secure top NHL draft pick for first time since 2009

NHL
May 5, 2025
6:20 pm

New York Islanders Defy Odds to Secure Top NHL Draft Pick

May 5, 2025, 08:09 PM ET

SECAUCUS, N.J. — In a stunning turn of events, the New York Islanders have emerged victorious in the NHL draft lottery, leaping over nine other teams, including the last-place San Jose Sharks, to claim the coveted No. 1 pick. This unexpected win has sent ripples of excitement through the hockey community, as the Islanders had only a 3.5% chance of securing the top spot.

The Islanders, who finished 10th in the standings, are currently undergoing a front-office transformation. This victory marks the fifth time in the franchise’s history that they have the opportunity to pick first, a privilege they last enjoyed in 2009 when they selected center John Tavares.

Back in 2009, the Islanders were struggling and playing in an outdated arena in Uniondale, New York. Fast forward to today, and they now call the state-of-the-art UBS Arena at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York, their home. This new draft pick is expected to generate significant buzz around a team that finished the season with a 35-35-12 record, accumulating 82 points, just seven shy of the final playoff berth in the East.

If the Islanders decide to keep the pick, it will be the fifth time they have selected at No. 1. Their previous top picks include Rick DiPietro in 2000, Denis Potvin in 1973, and Billy Harris in 1972.

Meanwhile, the Utah Hockey Club also made headlines by winning the second lottery drawing, jumping from 14th to fourth. This move was made possible by the rules that limit teams from moving up more than 10 spots in the draft order.

The Sharks, who had the best odds at 18.5% to win the lottery and a 25.5% chance of landing the No. 1 choice, will now pick second. San Jose, finishing last for the second consecutive year, was aiming to become the NHL’s first team to win the lottery and pick first in consecutive years.

The Chicago Blackhawks, with the second-best chances, will pick third. The Islanders’ leap from 10th to first is the largest jump for a team winning the No. 1 selection, breaking a trend where the last-place team won the lottery to retain the first pick in four of the past five years.

In 2020, the New York Rangers made a similar leap to No. 1, moving up from a group of eight teams with the same odds after being eliminated in the COVID-altered play-in round of the expanded 24-team playoff format.

This year’s draft will take place in Los Angeles, with the first round scheduled for June 27, followed by the final six rounds the next day. Top prospects will gather for the weeklong predraft combine in Buffalo next month.

The prospect pool this year is not considered as deep at the top as last year’s class, when the Sharks selected Boston University freshman Macklin Celebrini with the first pick. Next year’s group is expected to be stronger, with Canadian junior forward Gavin McKenna already being eyed as the No. 1 candidate.

Among the top prospects, Erie Otters defenseman Matthew Schaefer is NHL Central Scouting’s top-ranked North American prospect. He is followed by OHL Saginaw center Michael Misa and Boston College center James Hagens, the top-ranked U.S.-born prospect.

Schaefer, listed at 6-foot-2 and 183 pounds, maintained his No. 1 position despite missing the final three months of the season due to a broken right collarbone sustained while representing Canada at the world junior championships in December.

“Schaefer easily projects as a future All-Star in the NHL,” said central scouting VP Dan Marr. “He is the complete package playing a dynamic style that generates results and influences the outcome of games.”

Schaefer could become only the fifth defenseman selected No. 1 since 2000, and the first since Buffalo chose Owen Power in 2021. He also has the chance to be the first OHL player to go No. 1 since Edmonton drafted Erie’s Connor McDavid in 2015.

On the international front, the top-ranked skaters are center Anton Frondell and right wing Victor Eklund, teammates with Djurgarden of Sweden’s second division league. Frondell had an impressive 11 goals and 25 points in 25 games last season, posting the second-most points by a second-division player 17 or younger, behind only current Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander in 2013-14.

This year’s lottery was held at the NHL Network studios in New Jersey and was conducted live for the first time in the event’s 30-year history. Previously, the lottery was held shortly before the broadcast in front of a limited audience of sequestered observers, with the draft selections revealed in reverse order.

Two draws were held: the first to determine the No. 1 pick, followed by the No. 2 selection. Only the bottom 11 of the standings were eligible to land the first pick due to a rule restricting teams from moving up more than 10 spots in the draft order. The remaining 14 draft spots will be determined following the playoffs.