In past draft lotteries, the Pittsburgh Penguins have seen their fair share of luck.
This time around, not so much.
After the results of the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery on Monday, the Penguins slid from the ninth overall draft slot to 11th overall. The Penguins – when the last of the four lottery balls was about to be drawn – were tied for the highest odds at 18.5 percent, but, ultimately, the New York Islanders – previously slotted at 10th overall – won the first overall pick.
The Utah Hockey Club – previously positioned at 14th overall – won the second lottery selection and moved up 10 spots to fourth overall. Because two teams behind the Penguins in original draft order leapfrogged them, the Penguins dropped two slots to 11th.
In addition, the New York Rangers slid from 11th to 12th in draft order. The Penguins acquired the Rangers’ 2025 conditional first-round pick from the Vancouver Canucks in the Marcus Pettersson trade on Jan. 31.
The pick is top-13 protected, and the Rangers have up until 48 hours before the draft on June 27 to let Penguins’ POHO and GM Kyle Dubas know if they want to keep their 2025 pick or defer the pick to 2026.
Marc-Andre Fleury Reunites With Sidney Crosby At IIHF World ChampionshipsThe Minnesota Wild were recently eliminated by the Vegas Golden Knights in the first round of the Stanley Cup, ending Marc-Andre Fleury’s legendary career.
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