The NHL has officially announced that the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery will take place on Monday, May 5, determining the order of selection for the teams that missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs. For the second year in a row, the San Jose Sharks hold the best odds of winning the lottery after finishing at the bottom of the league standings.
Who Will Go First Overall in the 2025 NHL Draft?
Unlike recent draft years that featured generational talents like Connor Bedard in 2023 and Macklin Celebrini in 2024, the 2025 NHL Draft lacks a clear-cut number-one prospect. This year’s class is deep with potential, but there is no surefire superstar at the top—adding even more intrigue to the lottery results.
Early buzz points to Matthew Schaefer, a 6-foot-2 defenseman from the OHL’s Erie Otters, as the leading candidate to be selected first overall. Scouts praise Schaefer for his elite skating, defensive positioning, and emerging offensive instincts, though his ceiling remains a topic of debate.
Here’s a look at the Top 10 NHL Prospects heading into the draft:
- Matthew Schaefer, D – Erie (OHL)
- Michael Misa, C/LW, Saginaw (OHL)
- Porter Martone, RW, Mississauga (OHL)
- James Hagens, C, Boston College
- Anton Frondell, C, Djurgardens
- Caleb Desnoyers, C, Moncton (QMJHL)
- Victor Eklund, LW, Djurgardens
- Roger McQueen, C, Brandon (WHL)
- Jackson Smith D, Tri-City (WHL)
- Jake O’Brien, C, Brantford (OHL)
With no consensus top pick, teams will be carefully analyzing needs versus best available talent, and we could see several trades leading up to the draft as clubs jockey for position.
Personal Insight:
This is shaping up to be one of the more unpredictable lotteries and draft classes in years. If San Jose wins again, they’ll have a unique opportunity to load up on blue-chip talent and completely overhaul their franchise direction. Meanwhile, teams like Chicago, Nashville, and Philadelphia will also be watching closely—each hungry to speed up their rebuilds.
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