The San Jose Sharks have the best odds for the No. 1 pick at the NHL Draft for the second straight season.
The NHL has officially announced the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery date, May 5th.
With the new draft lottery rules, the Sharks technically own an 18.5% chance of winning with their combinations. The odds are pushed to 25.5% because a team can only jump at most ten spots forward. That means teams that failed to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs in league standings positions 12-16 cannot win first overall.
Teams that finish in the 12-16 positions are still eligible to win the lottery. If any of those teams win, the Sharks retain the first overall pick as they finished last in the NHL.
San Jose Sharks fans can simulate mock draft lotteries online through the website Tankathon.
Who do the Sharks pick if they win No. 1?
Unlike last season with Macklin Celebrini, there isn’t a legit No. 1 pick that stands out against the rest of the class. The top two candidates are OHL prospects Michael Misa and Matthew Schaefer.
Misa, a centerman, led all of Canadian Junior hockey, the CHL, in scoring this season with 134 points (62 goals, 72 assists) in 65 games for the Saginaw Spirit. He was often on the same line as San Jose Sharks prospect Igor Chernyshov.
Schaefer is a defenseman who broke his clavicle while playing for Canada at the 2025 IIHF World Juniors. This season, he played for the Erie Otters and had seven goals and 15 assists in 22 games. He began skating again during the start of the OHL playoffs, but Erie was eliminated before he could return.
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