The Nashville Predators will be fifth after New York Islanders and Utah Hockey Club won the draft lottery in the first two draft picks in the 2025 NHL admission draft. The Islanders will be ranked tenth in the pre-draft orders. Utah will pick fourth because draft rules state that no team can move out more than 10 positions after winning the lottery.
This year, the NHL decided to have fans watch the process on live TV, as the lottery ball was drawn in Studio at the NHL Network in Secaucus, New Jersey. The picture shows the site work for the first time in the 30-year history of NHL Lottery.
here we go! 🤩
Watch the first live broadcast ever #NHLDRAFT Lottery @epn,,,,, @sportsnetand @tvasportsWoolen cloth pic.twitter.com/8vxv6izzdk
– NHL (@NHL) May 5, 2025
Like other professional sports leagues, the NHL has draft lottery to stop the team from ranking first. Over the years, the NHL Board of Directors has refined it to create a fair, transparent process with complex, nuanced rules.
The NHL used to put the lottery in a separate room in the NHL network studio before the TV broadcast. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman will chair the raffle overseen by accounting firm Ernst & Young and observe it by the media. NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly will reveal the selection order on the TV broadcast and flip the cards with Team Logos to lower them to 16.
The first two draft picks of the year were selected in real time, with the Predators eventually winning the fifth pick.
Predator’s option on the fifth
With the fifth ranking, the Predator can choose a selection to affect the player. Here are some of the players they can choose from in June.
Anton Frondell
In THW’s draft rankings, Peter Baracchini wrote that Frondell is one factor in all three areas and a differentiator for both hockey sides, providing strong support and coverage. He was able to expose open lanes to attack quickly, which was difficult to control when he reached high traffic range. He can move quickly and accurately and protect the puck well against his opponents.
If Frondell plays for DjurgĂĄrdens among the Swedish hockey players, bringing his team into the league title. He scored 25 points (11 goals, 14 assists) in 29 games in Sweden’s second division this season. Baracchini compared him to Anaheim Ducks’ Leo Carlsson.
Victor Eklund
Another Swedish striker, Eklund, played in Sweden’s second division professional league this season, such as Frondell. THW’s Andrew Forbes wrote in the draft rankings that Eklund likes to push the pace of the game. He was nervous and seemed to be moving all the time, but he also had a high level of skills that allowed him to play at this pace. Eklund’s release is fast, just like Frondell, whose back release can be deceptive to the opponent’s goalkeeper. He’s a little small, but as we’ve seen, sizes can be overcome in today’s game.
Porter Martone
THW’s Logan Horn wrote in the rankings that Martone’s scale and high-end skills allowed him to open the door to the potential prospects of this year’s draft. Martone has a great figure and everyone (6-foot-3), but the real reason it inspires the Scout is his powerful skating, high-end competitive level, and his incredible ability to string all of these traits together to take all of them and win on their own. Maton is a powerful force in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) this season and has the potential to lock himself in the top five in the draft.
Related: THW’s 2025 NHL Draft Guide
Martone has had a staggering few years in the U18 World Championship last spring and his main performance in the OHL this season, from captain Canada to gold medals. Baracchini compared Martone to Brady or Matthew Tkachuk, and he felt his skills, emotions and competitive levels would attract a lot of attention from the team. His quick hands and combat abilities are excellent in tight spaces and in front of the net.
Predators have less than two months to determine whether these or another potential customer will join the organization. The 2025 NHL admission draft will be held on June 27 and June 28, 2025 and will be held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.
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