The Florida Panthers will participate in the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery on May 4, hoping to secure a top pick after finishing the season in 25th place. The team has a 6% chance of winning the first overall selection and a similar probability for the second pick.
This year’s lottery is important for the Panthers as they shift focus from playoff contention to building for future seasons. Injuries impacted their performance, ending their attempt at a third consecutive Stanley Cup title.
According to recent mock drafts, Penn State forward Gavin McKenna and Swedish forward Ivar Stenberg are projected as potential first picks. The Panthers also have a 54.4% chance of staying with the eighth pick, while there is a possibility they could fall to ninth or tenth depending on how the lottery unfolds.
In franchise history, Florida has won the draft lottery three times. In both 2002 and 2004, they traded away their top picks after moving up in those years’ lotteries. Their most recent win came in 2014 when they selected defenseman Aaron Ekblad with the first overall pick. Ekblad has since become an important player for Florida, leading franchise defensemen in goals, assists, and games played.
The NHL will conduct this year’s lottery in two phases: one draw each for determining who receives the first and second picks overall. Only teams eligible to move up ten spots can receive these top selections; eleven teams meet this criterion out of sixteen participating clubs.
Other teams with strong odds include Vancouver (18.5%), Chicago (13.5%), and New York Rangers (11.5%). Last year saw an unexpected result when New York Islanders moved from tenth position all the way up to win first overall.
Fans can watch this year’s drawing live from NHL Network’s studio in New Jersey at 7 p.m. Eastern Time on ESPN.
