As the NHL season comes to a close and the playoffs loom, teams are looking to the future in the form of the 2023 NHL draft lottery. It could be one of the most important ones in the league’s history, as Canadian phenom Connor Bedard is slated to be the first overall pick.
He’s one of the few players in recent memory to be granted exceptional status, which was also given to fellow Canadian (and current MVP frontrunner) Connor McDavid ahead of his draft year.
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According to the NHL, the draft lottery “will determine the order of selection for the first 16 picks in the opening round of the 2023 NHL Draft at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. The first round is on June 28 and rounds two through seven are on June 29. And the participants will be all the teams that do not qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
While half the league is competing in the playoffs, a few are hoping to win in a game of luck–the NHL draft lottery. So, let’s look ahead and offer up everything you need to know about the 2023 NHL Draft lottery.
When is the 2023 NHL Draft lottery?
Bottom-of-the-league teams like the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Anaheim Ducks have May 8th circled on their calendars because that’s the day of the NHL Draft lottery. It will begin at 7:00 p.m. EST live from the NHL Network studios in Secaucus, New Jersey, and broadcast on Sportsnet and TVAS in Canada, and ESPN in the United States.
2023 NHL Draft lottery: The top 16 picks are decided
Here was the latest NHL Draft lottery odds, before the lottery on May 8.
| RANK | TEAM | RECORD | POINTS | |
| 1. | Anaheim Ducks | 23-47-12 | 58 | |
| 2. | Columbus Blue Jackets | 24-48-9 | 59 | |
| 3. | Chicago Blackhawks | 26-49-7 | 59 | |
| 4. | San Jose Sharks | 22-44-16 | 60 | |
| 5. | Montreal Canadiens* | 31-45-6 | 68 | |
| 6. | Arizona Coyotes | 28-40-14 | 70 | |
| 7. | Philadelphia Flyers | 31-38-13 | 75 | |
| 8. | Washington Capitals | 35-37-10 | 80 | |
| 9. | Detroit Red Wings | 35-37-10 | 80 | |
| 10. | St. Louis Blues | 37-38-10 | 81 | |
| 11. | Vancouver Canucks | 38-37-7 | 83 |
The asterisk is to note that the Arizona Coyotes own the Ottawa Senators’ 2023 pick, which was only top-5 protected as a result of the Jakob Chychrun trade. Because the pick did not end up as a top-five pick in 2023, it did not have to be reverted to 2024, and the Coyotes claim the Senators’ pick this year.
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Who gets the first pick in the NHL Draft 2023?
The first two picks in the 2023 NHL Draft order were determined by the NHL Draft lottery. Every year, using four-digit combinations, each of the 15 teams that missed the NHL playoffs is put into a lottery with the numbers determined by the inverse order of the NHL standings. The NHL pulls a four-digit number combination via computer to determine the first pick followed by the second pick.
2023 NHL Draft order
The 2023 NHL Draft order is official, with the Blackhawks officially winning. “I think anytime you can add elite talent like we’ll be able to add in this draft and with the first overall selection it’s a monumental thing, and so it’s extremely exciting,” Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson told ESPN. “I’m really excited for the fan base, the city and the organization, but in the end it’s one piece. It’s a big piece, but it’s one piece that will go into building this team down the road. We’re excited and it’s a great day.”
Without further ado, the official draft order is below.
- Chicago Blackhawks
- Anaheim Ducks
- Columbus Blue Jackets
- San Jose Sharks
- Montreal Canadiens
- Arizona Coyotes
- Philadelphia Flyers
- Washington Capitals
- Detroit Red Wings
- St. Louis Blues
- Vancouver Canucks
- Arizona Coyotes (via OTT)
- Buffalo Sabres
- Pittsburgh Penguins
- Nashville Predators
- Calgary Flames
- Montreal Canadiens (via FLA)
- Detroit Red Wings (via NYI)
- Winnipeg Jets
- Chicago Blackhawks (via TB)
- Seattle Kraken
- Minnesota Wild
- Columbus Blue Jackets (via LAK)
- St. Louis Blues (via NYR)
- New York Rangers (via DAL)
- Colorado Avalanche
- Nashville Predators (via EDM)
- Vegas Golden Knights
- St. Louis Blues (via TOR)
- San Jose Sharks (via NJ)
- Carolina Hurricanes
- Toronto Maple Leafs (via BOS)