{"id":567506,"date":"2026-05-05T13:57:24","date_gmt":"2026-05-05T13:57:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/567506\/"},"modified":"2026-05-05T13:57:24","modified_gmt":"2026-05-05T13:57:24","slug":"facing-long-odds-nashville-predators-look-to-earn-first-no-1-pick-in-nhl-draft-lottery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/567506\/","title":{"rendered":"Facing long odds, Nashville Predators look to earn first No. 1 pick in NHL draft lottery"},"content":{"rendered":"

The\u00a0Nashville Predators<\/a>\u00a0need a lot of luck to earn the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NHL Draft<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The Predators<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n

The draft lottery will take place at NHL Network\u2019s studios in Secaucus, New Jersey, and will be broadcast live. The 2026 NHL Draft is scheduled for June 26-27 in Buffalo.<\/p>\n

How does the NHL draft lottery work?<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

What are the Predators’ draft lottery odds?<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Here are the Predators’ odds of winning each pick:<\/p>\n

Have the Predators ever won the NHL draft lottery?<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Nashville’s highest draft pick was David Legwand, selected at No. 2 overall in 1998, one of eight top-10 selections in franchise history:<\/p>\n

No. 2 (1998) – David Legwand<\/p>\n

No. 4 (2013) – Seth Jones<\/p>\n

No. 5 (2025) – Brady Martin<\/p>\n

No. 6 (1999) – Brian Finley<\/p>\n

No. 6 (2000) – Scott Hartnell<\/p>\n

No. 6 (2002) – Scottie Upshall<\/p>\n

No. 7 (2003) – Ryan Suter<\/p>\n

No. 7 (2008) – Colin Wilson<\/p>\n

NEW GUY: Can Vitali Pinchuk help Nashville Predators? What to know about former KHL star<\/a><\/p>\n

3 MOVES: 3 bold moves for Nashville Predators’ new GM, from buyouts to offer sheets<\/a><\/p>\n

Alex Daugherty is the Predators beat writer for The Tennessean. Contact Alex at jdaugherty@gannett.com<\/a>. Follow Alex on X, the platform formerly called Twitter,\u00a0@alexdaugherty1<\/a>.\u00a0Also check out our Predators exclusive Instagram page\u00a0@tennessean_preds<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: What are the Nashville Predators odds in NHL draft lottery?<\/a><\/p>\n