NHL Draft Lottery: May 5th Live Draw

0:00It's April 18th. This is Calgary Flames News Today, powered by AI. Your team, your updating. The NHL just dropped the date for the 2026 draft lottery. IEats going down Tuesday, May 5th, live from their Sikaka's New Jersey studio. On SportsNet, this thing says the order for the first 16 picks in the first round, all for teams that missed the Stanley Cup playoffs or hold those picks. They'll do a live ball draw where odds shift in real time as teams get knocked out, split into two phases for the top two spots overall. No team can jump more than 10 spots total, so only the bottom 11 seeds can snag that number one pick. Fans are buzzing about the odds, with Vancouver leading at 18.5%, Chicago at 13.5, and New York Rangers' close. Behind at 11.5, Calgary's in there too, at 9.5, and there's a twist on Toronto's pick if it lands top five. They all Boston their 2027, or 2028 first rounder instead.

1:01NHL's central scouting's final rankings are out, crowning Penn State left wing Gavin McKenna as the top North American skater and Sweden's Ivar Stinberg. Leading the internationals, the full draft heads back to Buffalo's Keybang Center, June 26th for Round 1 at 7pm Eastern, then 27th starting 10am for. The rest prime time to see who lands those lottery gems.