It's not how we envisioned 2024-25 going for the Nashville Predators with us sitting here on a Monday waiting to see if the team wins the NHL Draft Lottery, but let's make the most of it.
For a quick history lesson, the NHL has used the draft lottery system going back to 1995 to prevent teams from tanking for the top pick. The league has made some tweaks to it along the way.
As the NHL looks to ride their great momentum from an exciting first round of the 2025 Staney Cup Playoffs, the NHL Draft Lottery will be conducted live on television on ESPN (7 PM ET). The drawing will be revealed in real time to the fans from the NHL Network Studios.
How the Lottery Works and Where the Nashville Predators can finish
The first 16 picks of the first round of the NHL Entry Draft are determined from the lottery drawing. The lottery drawing only affects the No.1 and No.2 overall picks, with predetermined odds based on where the teams finished in the regular season standings.
So for the Nashville Predators, they have the third-best odds to win the top overall pick due to finishing 30th in the NHL standings in points. The San Jose Sharks had the lowest point total and therefore have the best lottery odds, while the Chicago Blackhawks were 31st and have the second-best lottery odds.
The Predators have an 11.5 percent chance to win the top overall pick, and then an 11 percent chance to win the No.2 overall pick. Their best odds are to win the No.4 overall pick with a 40.3 percent chance.
The Sharks have the overwhelming best odds to win the top pick at 25.5 percent. The price you pay to be the worst team in the NHL. Their fans have to be excited however considering the thrilling brand of hockey they displayed with Macklin Celebrini.
As for the Predators, they have never picked at the No.1 overall pick in their 26-year history. They selected at No.2 overall in their first draft by taking David Legwand.
A team cannot jump more than 10 spots ahead of their place in the regular season standings. This guarantees the Sharks pick at least in the top-three, and guarantees the Predators pick at least in the top-five.
So while the 21st-ranked Detroit Red Wings are in the lottery drawing, they cannot go higher than the No.2 overall pick.
Top prospects for Nashville Predators to target
A lot of scenarios at play here, but if the hockey gods are favorable to the fortunes of the Nashville Predators and reward them the top overall pick, then it will be a choice between Michael Misa and Matthew Schaefer most likely.
The Predators desperately need a playmaking center/winger prospect that can transform this franchise, and Misa fits that bill. However, I wouldn't discount at all General Manager Barry Trotz's love for nabbing another franchise defenseman in Schaefer.
It will be suspenseful all the way up to draft day on who the Predators will take with the first overall pick if they win the lottery tonight.
If the Predators land the second overall pick, then they take either Misa or Schaefer. Whoever is still on the board after the top pick. After that and once we get into the third, fourth and fifth picks, it really is totally a guessing game at that point.
The top-10 of the draft has the makings of being very unpredictable for mock drafts. I really like Caleb Desnoyers, a balanced and gritty center prospect out of the OHL, for the Predators to go after if they don't win the top two spots in the lottery drawing.
Other top tier prospects that will be on the board for the Predators to select regardless of the lottery drawing will be center James Hagen, center Anton Frondell and right winger Porter Martone. The center depth in the top-10 is encouraging for a team like the Predators who have a big need for that position.
Proving to always be a strong regular season team over the majority of their history, this is rare territory for this franchise. The regular season success and making the playoffs has been fun, but the fans are itching for a generational prospect to be selected in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft by the Predators.
The Predators also have two additional draft picks in the first round of 2025 and two draft picks in the second round. Expect Trotz to be active in trade circles with all of that draft capital in the first two rounds.
Trotz is set to address the media midday before the lottery drawing. He hasn't been too forthcoming on Head Coach Andrew Brunette's status for 2025-26, so that will be at the top of everyone's minds to address first.