James Nichols
The New Jersey Devils will pick 12th overall at the 2026 NHL Draft. Tuesday’s lottery delivered no movement for New Jersey, which entered with the 12th-worst record among non-playoff teams.
Their low odds of climbing into the top ten never hit.
Instead, chaos ruled the top of the board. The Toronto Maple Leafs, with just 8.5% odds and coming off a fifth-worst record, rocketed from outside the top tier to first overall.
The San Jose Sharks, holding roughly 5% odds from a mid-lottery position (ninth-worst), leaped to second. Both jumps were highly improbable and reshuffled expectations for the 2026 NHL Draft Class.
For the Devils, it marks another year of lottery neutrality. Like 2024, they held steady in a spot that reflects their season: competitive enough to miss the playoffs but not lottery-favored. They landed hulking Russian defenseman, Anton Silayev that year.
The top-end talent—headlined by prospects like Gavin McKenna—now looks to Toronto and San Jose, teams that capitalized on long-shot luck.
Yet 12th overall remains valuable.
What the Devils do with their first round pick remains to be seen. New GM Sunny Mehta explained he believes New Jersey is on the brink of turning into a perennial playoff performer.
Thus, it’s fair to wonder if Mehta will decide his core needs help and will package the first-round selection for more immediate help.
Otherwise, the Devils are lacking in prospect forwards. The 2026 NHL Draft is littered with forward talent, and New Jersey would certainly like to improve their forward crop in the pipeline.
The 2026 NHL Draft is just under two months away. Thus, Mehta and his team will have plenty of time to assess the best course of action with the 12 overall selection on June 26th.
However, if the new regime is truly one that’s going to change the culture in New Jersey, their first round pick should be used as a trade chip—without question—to finally land Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt a proper left winger.
