For the first time in its 30-year history, the NHL draft lottery will be drawn live in-studio, allowing team personnel and viewers to learn of the results simultaneously.
Here's what you need to know before the lottery is conducted:
When: Monday, May 5 (7 p.m. ET)
How to watch: ESPN, Sportsnet, TVA Sports
A team can move up a maximum of 10 spots if it secures one of the lottery draws, meaning only the top 11 seeds are eligible to win the right to draft first overall. Two lottery draws will be done.
Teams can improve their draft position in the lottery only twice in a five-year period. If the Blackhawks win the first overall pick, they won't be eligible to move up in the draft lottery again until 2028.
The Rangers can transfer either their 2025 or 2026 first-round pick to the Penguins. They traded their 2025 first to the Canucks on Jan. 31 in the J.T. Miller deal before Vancouver flipped it to Pittsburgh as part of the package for Marcus Pettersson and Drew O'Connor.
The Flames dealt their first-rounder to the Canadiens on Aug. 18, 2022 in order to dump Sean Monahan's contract. If Calgary wins one of the two lotteries and moves into the top 10, the Flames will retain the selection and instead transfer the Panthers' 2025 first-round pick to Montreal.
Prospects to know
Matthew Schaefer: It's been an impressive rise for Schaefer, who has become the top-ranked prospect in the class. He's not the unanimous choice atop the board, but the sky-high potential he's showcased in just 26 total games across the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, OHL, and world juniors has been enough for a majority of scouts to view him as this year's best prospect. Schaefer is one of the youngest players in the class, skates exceptionally well, and is an absolute gamer. He's listed at 6-foot-2 and has the two-way talent to become the kind of top-pairing, No. 1 defenseman every team wants. His limited game action is due to an early-season bout with mononucleosis and a broken collarbone sustained at the world juniors in December.
Michael Misa: The Saginaw Spirit put Misa at center this year and were rewarded with 62 goals and 134 points in 65 games. He's the first draft-year player to eclipse 60 goals in the OHL since Patrick Kane in 2007. An exceptional status player who entered the OHL a year early, Misa leveled up this season and has first-line upside as a dynamic, dual-threat center.
James Hagens: The projected No. 1 pick at the start of the draft cycle, Hagens' stock has dipped slightly over the campaign. He recorded 11 goals and 37 points in as many games as a freshman at Boston College and was a key piece down the middle for the Americans at the world juniors. He's a cerebral pivot who would be a quality addition for any team that covets a future top-six center.
Porter Martone: Want a power winger? Look no further. Martone, who's listed at 6-foot-3, 207 pounds, racked up 37 goals and 98 points in 57 games this year with the OHL's Brampton Steelheads. He represented Canada at the world juniors in December and was tabbed as a pre-tournament player for the men's World Championship in May. His playmaking stands out, but his skating and pace of play are question marks.
Anton Frondell: The top-ranked international skater, Frondell is a sturdy center who possesses an intriguing shot. He tallied 11 goals and 25 points in 29 games in Sweden's second-tier pro league this season. Frondell's 0.86 points per game are the second-highest scoring rate for a player in his draft year in the league, behind only Canucks forward Elias Pettersson and ahead of Toronto Maple Leafs winger William Nylander.
