2026 NHL draft lottery odds, explained: Who has the best shot at No. 1?

The quest for the 2026 Stanley Cup begins Saturday, Aug. 18 with 16 teams taking part in eight first-round series.

For the other half of the NHL, teams will look forward to seeing where they will draft in June. The annual draft lottery is scheduled to be held after the first round of the playoffs and will determine the order of the non-playoff teams in the first round.

The last-place Vancouver Canucks will have the best odds at 18.5% to win outright and 25.5% if a team in the 12 to 16 range wins and moves up the maximum 10 spots.

But last year, the New York Islanders won the lottery despite 3.5% odds and took Matthew Schaefer No. 1 overall. The Utah Mammoth won the second drawing and jumped to the fourth overall pick.

This year's draft is deep with Penn State's Gavin McKenna and Sweden's Ivan Stenberg leading the way.

Here are the odds for the draft lottery, per Tankathon, based on their final finish in the 2025-26 standings:

NHL draft lottery odds

Teams in the 12 to the 16 range can't win the No. 1 overall pick. They would move up 10 spots.

• 1. Vancouver Canucks: 18.5% (25.5% overall)
• 2. Chicago Blackhawks: 13:5%