The Nashville Predators will pick fifth after the New York Islanders and the Utah Hockey Club won the draft lotteries for the first two picks in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. The Islanders will pick first after being 10th in the pre-draft order. Utah will select fourth, as draft lottery rules stipulate that no team can move more than 10 places up after winning the lottery.
In a twist this year, the NHL decided to have fans watch the process on live TV as the lottery balls were drawn at NHL Network’s studio in Secaucus, New Jersey. The drawing was shown live in-studio for the first time in the NHL Draft Lottery’s 30-year history.
HERE WE GO! 🤩
Watch the first-ever LIVE #NHLDraft Lottery on @espn, @Sportsnet, and @TVASports! pic.twitter.com/8VXv6IZZDk
— NHL (@NHL) May 5, 2025
Like other professional sports leagues, the NHL holds a draft lottery to discourage teams from tanking for the No. 1 pick. The NHL Board of Governors has refined it over the years, creating a fair, transparent process with complex, nuanced rules.
The NHL used to hold the draft lottery in a separate room at the NHL Network’s studio right before the TV broadcast. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman would preside over the draw, overseen by the accounting firm Ernst & Young and observed by the media. NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly would reveal the selection order on the TV broadcast, flipping cards with team logos to count down from 16 to 1.
This year’s first two picks were chosen in real time, with the Predators eventually winning the fifth pick.
Predators’ Options at 5th Pick
With the fifth pick, the Predators have many options to select an impact player. Here are a few of the players they could choose in June.
Anton Frondell
In THW’s draft rankings, Peter Baracchini wrote that Frondell is a factor in all three zones and is a difference maker on both sides of the puck providing great support and coverage. He’s able to expose open lanes in order to attack swiftly and when he gets to the high traffic areas, he’s difficult to contain. He can pull off moves quickly and accurately and protects the puck well to fend off the opposition.
Anton Frondell, Team Sweden (Photo by Michael Miller/ISI Photos/Getty Images)
Frondell plays for Djurgårdens IF in Sweden’s HockeyAllsvenskan, leading his team to the league championship. He scored 25 points (11 goals, 14 assists) in 29 games in Sweden’s second division this season. Baracchini compares him with the Anaheim Ducks’ Leo Carlsson at the same age at the pro level.
Victor Eklund
Another Swedish forward, Eklund, played in Sweden’s second division professional league this season, like Frondell. THW’s Andrew Forbes wrote in his draft rankings that Eklund loves to drive the pace of play. He’s intense and always seems to be moving, but he also has a high level of skill that allows him to play at that kind of pace. Eklund has a quick release, much like Frondell, and his pull-back-release can be deceptive to opposing goaltenders. He is a little smaller, but as we’ve seen, size can be overcome in today’s game.
Porter Martone
In his rankings, THW’s Logan Horn wrote that Martone’s size and high-end skill have kept the door open for him as the potential top prospect in this year’s draft. Martone’s size is great and all (6-foot-3), but the real reason it excites scouts is his strong skating, high-end compete level, and his uncanny ability to string all those traits together to dominate possession and win shifts on his own. Martone was a powerful force in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) this season and has likely locked himself in as a top-five pick in the draft.
Related: THW’s 2025 NHL Draft Guide
Martone has had a phenomenal few years, from captaining Canada to gold in the U18 World Championship last spring, to his dominant play in the OHL this season. Baracchini compares Martone to Brady or Matthew Tkachuk, and he feels his skillset, emotion, and compete level alone are going to draw a lot of attention from teams. He excels in tight spaces and in front of the net with his quick hands and ability to battle.
The Predators have under two months to determine if these or another prospect will join the organization. The 2025 NHL Entry Draft will be held on June 27 and June 28, 2025, and take place at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.
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