Photo credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Vancouver Canucks and Adam Foote now sit on the best lottery odds, but that top spot has turned shaky more often than fans would like.
Vancouver finished with the NHL’s worst record, which gives the club a 25.5% shot at first overall in the 2026 Draft Lottery.
The rest of the math is where it gets tense. The Canucks have an 18.8% chance to pick second and a 55.7% chance to slide to third.
That part matters because Vancouver cannot fall any lower than third under the current system. The team with the worst record still controls the floor, just not the headline.
The league has already locked in the date too. The 2026 NHL Draft Lottery is set for May 5, and Sportsnet will carry the broadcast in Canada.
There is one more rule fans need to keep in mind. A team can move up no more than 10 spots, which is why only the top 11 lottery clubs are eligible for first overall.
Recent lottery history gives Vancouver a reason to sweat
Since 2016, the club with the best odds has held first overall only five times: Toronto in 2016, Buffalo in 2018 and 2021, Montreal in 2022, and San Jose in 2024.
The flipside is what makes this year uncomfortable in Vancouver. New Jersey jumped from fifth to first in 2017, then again from third in 2019.
Chicago jumped from third to first in 2023, and the Islanders made the loudest move of the bunch in 2025 by climbing from tenth to first.
That is why the Canucks’ 25.5% is good news and nerve-racking news at the same time. It is the best seat in the room, but it is still far from a lock.
For Vancouver, this lottery is less about dreaming and more about damage control. First overall is in play, second is very live, and third is still the most likely finish.
So yes, the Canucks own the best odds heading in. Recent history says that still might not be enough.
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