The Vancouver Canucks have officially secured the best odds for first overall for the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery. Vancouver will have a 25.5% chance at picking first overall this year after securing 32nd overall for the 2025-26 season. While the Canucks have the best odds, fans in the market should be concerned, as history has proven to go against those who finish last in the standings.
If Vancouver drops out of first overall, the farthest they can fall is to third. The Canucks will have an 18.8% chance of picking second, while their odds of picking third overall sit at 55.7%. Here is a look at how the lottery has gone since 2016.
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2016
Toronto Maple Leafs- Retained 1st Selection
Winnipeg Jets- Moved from 6th to 2nd
Columbus Blue Jackets- Moved from 4th to 3rd
2017
New Jersey Devils- Moved from 5th to 1st
Philadelphia Flyers- Moved from 13th to 2nd
Dallas Stars- Moved from 8th to 3rd
2018
Buffalo Sabres- Retained 1st Selection
Carolina Hurricanes- Moved from 11th to 2nd
Montréal Canadiens- Moved from 4th to 3rd
2019
New Jersey Devils- Moved from 3rd to 1st
New York Rangers- Moved from 6th to 2nd
Chicago Blackhawks- Moved from 12th to 3rd
2020
New York Rangers- Moved from (8th – 15th) to 1st
Los Angeles Kings- Moved from 4th to 2nd
Ottawa Senators- Retained 3rd Selection
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2021
Buffalo Sabres- Retained 1st Selection
Seattle Kraken- Moved from 3rd to 2nd
2022
Montréal Canadiens- Retained 1st Selection
New Jersey Devils- Moved from 5th to 2nd
2023
Chicago Blackhawks- Moved from 3rd to 1st
Anaheim Ducks- Moved from 1st to 2nd
2024
San Jose Sharks- Retained 1st Selection
Chicago Blackhawks- Retained 2nd Selection
2025
New York Islanders- Moved from 10th to 1st
Utah Mammoth- Moved from 14th to 4th
The 2026 NHL Draft Lottery is scheduled for May 5, 2026. The team that wins the lottery can move up a maximum of 10 slots in the draft. The lottery will be broadcast on Sportsnet.
Jun 27, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Braeden Cootes is selected as the 16th overall pick to the Vancouver Canucks in the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft at Peacock Theater. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
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