NHL Draft Lottery results, as Red Wings pick going to Blues stays put

So much for luck, one way or the other: The first-round pick the Detroit Red Wings traded away came in at No. 15, where it was slotted in the first place.

The NHL held its 2026 Draft Lottery on Tuesday, May 5, with the Toronto Maple Leafs winning the right to make the first choice at the draft, which will take place June 26-27 at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York. The San Jose Sharks won the second drawing, to pick second overall. The Leafs had the fifth-best odds to win the first pick coming into the lottery, at 8.5%. and needed to stay within the top five to avoid sending their pick to the Boston Bruins in a 2025 deal for defenseman Brandon Carlo.

The lottery determined the first 16 choices.

The Wings did not have their pick because they used it to acquire defenseman Justin Faulk at the trade deadline in March.

The Vancouver Canucks, who finished with the NHL's worst record, had the best odds to win the lottery at 18.5%, followed by the Chicago Blackhawks at 13.5% and the New York Rangers at 11.5%.

The Canucks will pick third.

Penn State forward Gavin McKenna is projected to be the first overall pick, with Swedish forward Ivar Stenberg projected to go second.

The Blues will have two picks in the first round, their own at No. 10 and the Wings', at No. 15.

Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. 

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Red Wings pick going to St. Louis Blues stays put in lottery