
Frank: Clippers' goal remains to 'win with Kawhi'
Clippers President Confirms Commitment to Kawhi Leonard's Future
The 2026 NHL draft lottery will determine the order for non-playoff teams, with the Vancouver Canucks having the best odds at 18.5%. The lottery is set for after the first round of the playoffs, and last year's winner had only a 3.5% chance.
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:
Teams in the 12 to the 16 range can't win the No. 1 overall pick. They would move up 10 spots.
The Vancouver Canucks have an 18.5% chance to win the 2026 NHL draft lottery outright and a 25.5% chance if a team ranked 12 to 16 wins and moves up.
The 2026 NHL draft lottery is scheduled to be held after the first round of the playoffs.
The top prospects for the 2026 NHL draft include Gavin McKenna from Penn State and Ivan Stenberg from Sweden.

Clippers President Confirms Commitment to Kawhi Leonard's Future

Oscar Schmidt, the legendary Brazilian basketball player, has passed away at 68 after battling a brain tumor.

El Inter de Milán ganó 3-0 al Cagliari, acercándose al 'Scudetto'. La dupla formada por Thuram y Dimarco destacó en un partido complicado para el equipo de Chivu.
Check out the highlights and summary of Internazionale vs Cagliari!
The Houston Texans traded significant draft capital to select Will Anderson Jr. in 2023, giving up multiple high picks. Three years later, with Anderson signing a record contract for a non-quarterback, the Texans' gamble appears justified.
Texas Rangers earn mediocre early-season grade as offense struggles for consistency.
See every story in Sports — including breaking news and analysis.
There are two drawings, first for a chance at the top pick and then for a chance at the second pick. Winning teams can move up only 10 spots. The last-place team can draft no lower than third overall. Beginning with the 2022 lottery, a team cannot win more than twice in a five-year period. There are 14 ping-pong balls in the machine and each team is assigned a series of four numbers. The lower a team is in the standings, the more series of numbers it gets.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2026 NHL draft lottery odds what teams have the best chance