What are the Flyers' odds to win the NHL draft lottery? Here's how to watch and what to know.
The rebuilding Philadelphia Flyers will learn where they're selecting in the 2025 NHL draft tonight, as the league holds its annual lottery. The Flyers will have a lottery pick for the fourth straight draft.
The last time the Flyers drafted in the top 10, they landed Matvei Michkov at No. 7 in 2023. In 2022, the Flyers had the fourth-best odds of winning the lottery and dropped a spot in the order to No. 5. They drafted Cutter Gauthier, whom they later traded to the Anaheim Ducks. The Flyers remained at No. 12 in the 2024 NHL draft but moved back to No. 13 in a trade to select Jett Luchanko.
Here's what to know before Monday night's 2025 NHL draft lottery.
When is the 2025 NHL draft lottery, and what time is it?
The draft lottery will take place at 7 p.m. ET on Monday, May 5, from the NHL Network offices in Secaucus, New Jersey. Fans can watch on ESPN, Sportsnet, or TVA Sports, depending on their location.
For the first time in the NHL draft lottery's 30-year history, the drawing will be shown live in-studio. Rather than go from No. 16 to No. 1 as has been the case, the league will begin the lottery with the first overall pick
When and where is the 2025 NHL draft?
The 2025 NHL draft will take place over two days, June 27 and 28, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.
The 2025 NHL draft is decentralized. What does that mean?
For the first time in league history, the 2025 NHL draft will be held in a decentralized format. What does a decentralized draft mean? Fifty of the top draft prospects will attend the event in L.A., but the teams will not be in attendance. Instead, team executives, coaches and scouts will gather at a central location in their home markets or a location of their choice.
The Flyers' headquarters will most likely be at the team's training center in Voorhees, New Jersey.
What is the 2025 NHL draft order?
Monday's lottery will determine the NHL draft order's top 16 selections. Here's how it works.
There are two drawings: one for the first overall pick and another for the second overall pick. No team can move up more than 10 picks, and only the top 11 teams have a shot at landing the top pick in the draft. After the first two picks are drawn, the remaining order — picks Nos. 3-16 — will be established in inverse order from the regular-season standings.
Odds to win the 2025 NHL draft lottery
Despite a late-season surge following a coaching change, the Flyers finished the 2024-25 campaign with the fourth-best odds of winning the NHL draft lottery. If the lottery proceeds as the odds project, Philly will leave Monday night's drawing with the No. 4 pick.
But stranger things have happened. Remember, the Flyers jumped from 13th overall to No. 2 in the 2017 NHL draft. The Flyers drafted Nolan Patrick with the second pick. That didn't work out.
According to NHL.com, here are the odds of winning the lottery.
- San Jose Sharks, 25.5%
- Chicago Blackhawks, 13.5%
- Nashville Predators, 11.5%
- Philadelphia Flyers, 9.5%
- Boston Bruins, 8.5%
- Seattle Kraken, 7.5%
- Buffalo Sabres, 6.5%
- Anaheim Ducks, 6.0%
- Pittsburgh Penguins, 5.0%
- New York Islanders, 3.5%
- New York Rangers, 3.0%
- Detroit Red Wings, 2.5%
- Columbus Blue Jackets, 2.0%
- Utah Hockey Club, 1.5%
- Vancouver Canucks, 0.5%
- Calgary Flames, 0.5%
The Flyers most likely will pick between No. 4 and 6, but have the highest odds of picking No. 5 at 44.6%. They can finish no lower than No. 6.
How many draft picks do the Flyers have in 2025?
The 2025 NHL draft should be a busy one for the Flyers, who have 11 selections, including seven in the first two rounds.
Philadelphia has three first-round picks — its own, the Edmonton Oilers' and the Colorado Avalanche's.
The Flyers acquired the Avalanche's first-round pick in the Sean Walker trade. Philadelphia got Edmonton's 2025 first-round selection at last year's draft, when the Oilers traded up to select Sam O'Reilly with the 32nd overall pick.
During the Flyers' breakout day, general manager Danny Briere said the team's rebuild is shifting from subtraction to addition. With a treasure chest of high-value 2025 draft picks, Briere could use them as trade chips to land NHL-ready players or add more selections for next year. Philadelphia has six picks for the 2026 NHL draft.
Who are the top 2025 NHL draft prospects?
The Flyers have several organizational needs, but their biggest is center. With a high lottery pick, the Flyers should be able to come away with a top center or defensive prospect.
The projected No. 1 overall pick in 2025 is Matthew Schaefer, a 6-foot-2, 183-pound lefty shot defenseman who plays for Erie of the Ontario Hockey League. Schaefer finished No. 1 on NHL Central Scouting's final North American skaters.
Centers Michael Misa (Saginaw, OHL), James Hagens (Boston College, NCAA) and Jake O'Brien (Brantford, OHL) finished as the Nos. 2-3-4 North American skaters by Central Scouting. Defenseman Radim Mrtka, who played for Seattle in the Western Hockey League, rounded out the top 5 North American skaters.
Anton Frondell and Victor Eklund, who both play for Djurgarden in Sweden's second division, finished as Nos. 1-2 among international skaters by NHL Central Scouting.
Fans can see Central Scouting's full rankings online.
