The Nashville Predators need a lot of luck to earn the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.
The Predators are in the mix for the top two picks in the NHL draft lottery on May 5 (6 p.m. CT, ESPN), but face long odds. Currently in the No. 10 spot, Nashville has a 3.5% chance of earning the top pick and a 3.7% chance of earning the second pick. They can also drop to the No. 11 or No. 12 spot if a team behind them in the order wins the lottery.
The draft lottery will take place at NHL Network’s studios in Secaucus, New Jersey, and will be broadcast live. The 2026 NHL Draft is scheduled for June 26-27 in Buffalo.
How does the NHL draft lottery work?
The NHL has a lottery system to determine the draft order of the bottom 16 teams. The system was introduced in 1995 to prevent teams from intentionally losing games to earn the top pick.
In 2021, the rules were adjusted so teams can move up a maximum of 10 spots in the draft. Only the bottom 11 teams have a chance at the No. 1 overall pick. If a team slotted Nos. 12 to 16 wins the draw, the top pick automatically goes to the No. 1 team.
After the draw for the No. 1 pick, there is a second draw for the No. 2 pick, following the same rules. Any remaining team in the pool can win the No. 2 pick other than teams finishing in slots Nos. 13 to 16.
Once the top two picks are determined by lottery, the remaining draft order (No. 3 through No. 16) is determined by order of finish in the season.
What are the Predators’ draft lottery odds?
Nashville is in the No. 10 spot before the draw and eligible to win either the No. 1 or No. 2 pick. Based on the results, the Predators can finish in one of five spots: 1, 2, 10, 11 or 12.
Here are the Predators’ odds of winning each pick:
Have the Predators ever won the NHL draft lottery?
No, the Predators have never won the draft lottery. Last year, they entered the lottery with an 11.5% chance to win the top pick, but dropped from No. 3 to No. 5. They eventually took Soo Greyhounds center Brady Martin with the pick.
Nashville’s highest draft pick was David Legwand, selected at No. 2 overall in 1998, one of eight top-10 selections in franchise history:
No. 2 (1998) – David Legwand
No. 4 (2013) – Seth Jones
No. 5 (2025) – Brady Martin
No. 6 (1999) – Brian Finley
No. 6 (2000) – Scott Hartnell
No. 6 (2002) – Scottie Upshall
No. 7 (2003) – Ryan Suter
No. 7 (2008) – Colin Wilson
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Alex Daugherty is the Predators beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Alex at jdaugherty@gannett.com. Follow Alex on X, the platform formerly called Twitter, @alexdaugherty1. Also check out our Predators exclusive Instagram page @tennessean_preds.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: What are the Nashville Predators odds in NHL draft lottery?