With wins on Thursday night by the St. Louis Blues and San Jose Sharks, the Florida Panthers clinched retaining their first-round pick in the 2026 NHL draft.
The pick had been in question since the Seth Jones trade last season as the Panthers sent a first-round selection to the Chicago Blackhawks as part of the transaction.
The draft pick was top-10 protected in 2026, and with the Panthers owning the eighth-worst record in the NHL this season, the worst that pick can be after the draft lottery is 10th, as a maximum of two teams can potentially move up past the Panthers in that lottery. A team can move up a maximum of 10 spots if it wins either draw in the NHL draft lottery, but only the first draw has the possibility of a team (ranked 2-11) usurping the Vancouver Canucks for the first pick.
With that assurance, the first-rounder is confirmed to be sent to Chicago in the 2027 draft.
Now, Florida can pick first, second, third, eighth, ninth or 10th in the June 26 first round. The draft lottery is Tuesday, May 5.
The last time the Panthers had a top-10 pick was nine years ago, when they selected Owen Tippett 10th.
The bottom 11 records in the league, from worst to best:
Vancouver Canucks: 58 points*
Chicago Blackhawks: 72
Calgary Flames: 75*
New York Rangers: 77
Toronto Maple Leafs: 78
Seattle Kraken: 79*
Winnipeg Jets: 82
Florida Panthers: 84
San Jose Sharks: 86
St. Louis Blues: 86
Nashville Predators: 86
*Playing their final game late Thursday night.