Just a few weeks later, I decided to use the 2025 NHL Draft to look into how it works, when it happens, the order and overall format.
How does the NHL Draft work?
The NHL Draft has been the flagship feature of ice hockey’s biggest league since the first NHL Draft was held in Montreal, Quebec in 1963.
Before the establishment, the NHL franchise will add fresh talent through exclusive rights and introduce the best players using sponsorship with the junior side.
16 teams finish in the playoffs each year (eight teams from the Western Conference and the Eastern Conference), and another 16 teams have no chance to win the Stanley Cup.
These 16 teams then enter the NHL Draft Lottery. This will be held on May 5th this year, which will determine who will win the number one pick in the draft.
During the lottery, 14 table tennis balls are placed in the bowl, and these 14 balls can be configured in up to 1001 different combinations. This means that each team in the lottery will be given the possible combinations.
The number of combinations a team can allocate is based on regular season records. Essentially, the more teams can record, the more combinations they get.
They then order 1-16 based on their chances of victory. For example, the San Jose sharks were initially 18.5% chance, while the Calgary flames were 16th with a 0.5% chance.
The first drawing ball will select the number one pick of the NHL draft so that one combination is placed in a possible result of 1000 as one combination is removed by the league board.
However, the rules added in 2021 mean that teams can rise at up to 10 locations. So, if Calgary’s Flame was drawn first, you can move from 16th to 6th.
This means that the teams placed first for having the worst record will get their first pick in the NHL Draft.
After this, the second pick is selected in the same format, looking at the top two of the overall NHL draft, with the rest ordering the most at the lowest points.
Teams that qualify for the playoffs but fail to progress to the final stage are ordered by how far they progress along with regular season tally.
So far, all these phases have been completed in 2025, with the first 28 picks being decided, and New York Islanders have been selected as the number one pick.
Additionally, the 29th pick will be awarded to the franchise, losing in the final of the conference, achieving a minimum point tally in the regular season, and the 30th pick will be sent to other conference final losers.
This means that the 31st pick will be sent to the Stanley Cup final runners, with the final 32nd spot being handed over to the Stanley Cup winner in 2025.
Can NHL teams exchange draft picks?
Yes, NHL teams can use draft picks to get a variety of things across the league. This feature is being used more than the upcoming 2025 draft.
What this means is that teams use the number of picks in the first round as leverage when signing players. So the team can give up the first round pick for the player from another side.
The Calgary Flames got a Panthers pick after a trade via Matthew Tokachuk in July 2022, and the San Jose Shark got a Dallas Stars pick in February.
Another example comes from the Philadelphia Flyers, who were able to take their first pick from the Edmonton Oilers in June 2024, giving up their first round pick for the Oilers in last year’s draft.
This means Philadelphia has three picks in the first round of 2025, taking the 6th spot in the deal that Sean Walker joined Colorado in March 2024 and 22nd in the Colorado Avalanche.
Another NHL franchise with three picks is the Nashville Predators, which ranked fifth and 23rd day after tanner Janott’s contract with Tampa Bay Lightning in February 2023.
So San Jose, Philadelphia and Nashville are three of six teams with multiple picks in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft.
The Chicago Blackhawks scored their third and 25th round picks in February 2023 after a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs, in which Jake McCabe moved to Canada.
Similarly, the Columbus Blue Jacket will be making its 14th and 20th picks of the opening round after swapping David Girisek for Minnesota last November.
The Montreal Canadiens have picked twice in a row, 16th and 17th place, due to trade with Charagley’s flames. In August 2022, Sean Monaghan became a player in Flame.
When is the 2025 NHL draft?
The 2025 NHL Draft is set to make history as it will be visible on live broadcasts for the first time in history, as it will be visible to NHL fans as they unfold.
The LA Live’s Peacock Theater will be held in Los Angeles, with the first round starting at 7pm on June 27th, with the next six rounds starting at 12pm on June 28th.
What is the 2025 NHL’s First Round Draft Order?
1. New York Islanders
2. San Jose Shark
3. Chicago Blackhawks
4. Utah Mammoth
5. Nashville predators
6. Philadelphia Flyers
7. The Boston Bruins
8. Seattle Kraken
9. Buffalo Sabres
10. Anaheim Ducks
11. Pittsburgh Penguin
12. New York Rangers
13. DetroitRed Wings
14. Columbus Blue Jacket
15. Vancouver Canucks
16. Montreal Canadiens (from Calgary Frame)
17. Montreal Canadian
18. Calgary Flames (from the New Jersey Devils)
19. St. Louis Blues
20. Columbus Blue Jacket (from Minnesota Wild)
twenty one. Ottawa Senator
twenty two. Philadelphia Flyers (from the Colorado Avalanche)
twenty three. Nashville Predators (from Tampa Bay Lightning)
twenty four. LosAngeles Kings
twenty five. Chicago Blackhawks (from Toronto Maple Leafs)
26. Nashville Predators (from the Vegas Golden Knights via the San Jose Sharks)
27. Washington Capitals
28. Winnipeg Jets
