How are NHL draft picks determined?

Last Modified Jun 25, 2024 05:27 GMT
How are NHL draft picks determined
NHL draft picks (Source: Getty Images)

The NHL Entry Draft, initially known as the NHL amateur draft, has been a pivotal event since its inception in 1963. It is held annually, typically within a few months of the regular season's conclusion and allows NHL teams to select eligible ice hockey players to add strength to their roster. Remarkably, these players come from various leagues, including junior, collegiate, and the European leagues.

Originally, teams selected players primarily from amateur ranks, but eligibility criteria expanded over time. The draft briefly included younger prospects in 1974 amid competition with the WHA and broadened to include former professional players in 1979, leading to its renaming as the NHL Entry Draft. However, a rule implemented in 2022 put forward a limit on how much a team can move up in the draft order.

What are the new NHL draft rules?

The new NHL draft rules as of 2024 include several key changes and procedures aimed at enhancing fairness and competitive balance in the draft process:

1. Draft Lottery System: The NHL draft lottery now involves selecting only two winning balls instead of three, reducing the number of teams that can move up in the draft order. This change was implemented in 2022 to limit the advantage of repeated lottery wins for struggling teams.

2. Maximum Lottery Jump: Teams can only move up a maximum of 10 spots in the draft order if they win the lottery. This means that while any of the 16 non-playoff teams have a chance to secure the first overall pick, the maximum jump ensures that the worst team by regular-season standings is not guaranteed the top pick automatically.

3. Odds Distribution: The draft lottery odds are distributed among the 16 non-playoff teams based on their regular-season standings. The team finishing last in the standings has the highest probability (25.5%) of securing the first overall pick, followed by diminishing odds for subsequent teams based on their finishing positions.

4. Draft Eligibility and Talent Pool: The draft eligibility criteria remain largely unchanged, with players generally eligible if they turn 18 in the calendar year of the draft. The 2024 draft class features highly touted prospects like Macklin Celebrini, Artyom Levshunov, and Anton Silayev, each offering distinct skills and potential impacts for NHL teams.

How are NHL draft picks determined?

The NHL draft picks are determined through a lottery system that aims to allocate the top selections among teams that did not qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. This lottery includes the 16 teams with the worst regular season records. Notably, there are two separate drawings: one determines the team that receives the first overall pick, and the other determines the team that gets the second overall pick. After these top two picks are determined, the remaining teams are ordered based on their regular season standings, with picks 3 through 16 following in inverse order of their points.

Teams can move up in the draft order by as many as 10 positions compared to where they finished in the regular season standings. However, they can only move back a maximum of two spots from their original lottery odds. Additionally, a new rule implemented in 2022 restricts teams from winning the lottery more than twice within five years. This means that if a team wins the lottery twice within this timeframe, they cannot advance their draft position through the lottery until the period expires.

Each team's odds for winning the lottery are based on their regular season standings, with the team finishing last having the highest chance to win the top pick. The lottery typically takes place before the NHL Entry Draft.

Date and timing for the 2024 NHL Draft

The 2024 draft will be held at Sphere in Las Vegas with the first round commencing at 7 p.m. ET. It will air on ESPN, ESPN+, SN, and TVAS, while rounds 2-7 will be held the following day, starting at 11:30 a.m. ET on ESPN+, NHLN, SN, and SN1.

FAQ's On NHL draft picks

A. The first NHL Entry Draft was held in 1963 at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Quebec.

A. The NHL changed the draft lottery rules in 2022 to reduce the advantage of repeated lottery wins for struggling teams and to enhance competitive balance.

A. Sixteen teams participate in the NHL draft lottery, consisting of the non-playoff teams from the previous season.

A. The San Jose Sharks won the 2024 NHL draft lottery, securing the first overall pick.

A. The maximum jump in the NHL draft lottery is 10 spots, meaning the worst team by regular-season standings isn't guaranteed the first overall pick.

Related Stories

Shesterkin’s 17th career shutout, PP scores twice, and more: 3 reasons why New York Rangers shut out Ottawa Senators 5-0 Shesterkin’s 17th career shutout, PP scores twice, and more: 3 reasons why New York Rangers shut out Ottawa Senators 5-0
Shesterkin’s 17th career shutout, PP scores twice, and more: 3 reasons why New York Rangers shut out Ottawa Senators 5-0
1d
Columbus Blue Jackets vs Toronto Maple Leafs: Game preview, predictions and odds | January 22, 2024 Columbus Blue Jackets vs Toronto Maple Leafs: Game preview, predictions and odds | January 22, 2024
Columbus Blue Jackets vs Toronto Maple Leafs: Game preview, predictions and odds | January 22, 2024
1d
Panthers lineup tonight: Florida’s projected lineup for game against the Los Angeles Kings | Jan. 22 2025 Panthers lineup tonight: Florida’s projected lineup for game against the Los Angeles Kings | Jan. 22 2025
Panthers lineup tonight: Florida’s projected lineup for game against the Los Angeles Kings | Jan. 22 2025
1d
Watch: Corey Perry scores bizarre goal assisted by tray of nachos thrown by a fan Watch: Corey Perry scores bizarre goal assisted by tray of nachos thrown by a fan
Watch: Corey Perry scores bizarre goal assisted by tray of nachos thrown by a fan
1d
Verhaeghe game-winner, Bobrovsky’s 28 saves, and more: 3 reasons why Florida Panthers won 5-2 over Anaheim Ducks Verhaeghe game-winner, Bobrovsky’s 28 saves, and more: 3 reasons why Florida Panthers won 5-2 over Anaheim Ducks
Verhaeghe game-winner, Bobrovsky’s 28 saves, and more: 3 reasons why Florida Panthers won 5-2 over Anaheim Ducks
1d
Winnipeg Jets vs Colorado Avalanche: Game preview, predictions and odds | January 22, 2024 Winnipeg Jets vs Colorado Avalanche: Game preview, predictions and odds | January 22, 2024
Winnipeg Jets vs Colorado Avalanche: Game preview, predictions and odds | January 22, 2024
1d
Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews offer fans exclusive signed mini stick giveaway with McDonald’s Canada Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews offer fans exclusive signed mini stick giveaway with McDonald’s Canada
Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews offer fans exclusive signed mini stick giveaway with McDonald’s Canada
1d
Vancouver Canucks vs Edmonton Oilers: Game preview, predictions and odds | January 23, 2024 Vancouver Canucks vs Edmonton Oilers: Game preview, predictions and odds | January 23, 2024
Vancouver Canucks vs Edmonton Oilers: Game preview, predictions and odds | January 23, 2024
12h
Avalanche lineup tonight: Colorado’s projected lineup for game against the Winnipeg Jets | Jan. 22 2025 Avalanche lineup tonight: Colorado’s projected lineup for game against the Winnipeg Jets | Jan. 22 2025
Avalanche lineup tonight: Colorado’s projected lineup for game against the Winnipeg Jets | Jan. 22 2025
1d
NHL insider floats bombshell move to reunite Toronto Maple Leafs with Luke Schenn and $18,000,000 center NHL insider floats bombshell move to reunite Toronto Maple Leafs with Luke Schenn and $18,000,000 center
NHL insider floats bombshell move to reunite Toronto Maple Leafs with Luke Schenn and $18,000,000 center
1d
Sportskeeda logo
Close menu
WWE
WWE
NBA
NBA
NFL
NFL
MMA
MMA
Tennis
Tennis
NHL
NHL
Golf
Golf
MLB
MLB
Soccer
Soccer
F1
F1
WNBA
WNBA
More
More
bell-icon Manage notifications