Detroit Red Wings learn their fate in the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery
The Red Wings have learned their fate in the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery; their streak of having not picked inside of the top-3 will be extended into a 35th straight year.
While there was almost zero realistic chance of the Red Wings landing the top overall pick in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, their rotten luck continued.
Despite widely being projected to land the 12th overall pick with a less than 10% chance of moving back, that's exactly what happened. Detroit was bumped back a spot and picked up the 13th overall pick.
The New York Islanders, who finished 12th overall in the Eastern Conference and 23rd overall in the NHL won the Draft Lottery and can pick 1st overall.
The projected 1st overall selection is Matthew Schaefer of the OHL's Erie Otters; the last player from Erie that went 1st overall in the NHL Entry Draft was none other than
Connor McDavid in 2015.
Red Wings still have not picked 3rd overall or higher since 1990
The last time the Red Wings selected 3rd or higher was the 1990 NHL Entry Draft; they used the selection on Keith Primeau, who was once thought of as a foundational young player for the franchise but would be shipped out of town in October 1986 along with Hall of Fame defenseman Paul Coffey to the Hartford Whalers in exchange for Brendan Shanahan.
Red Wings fans would make that trade 10/10 times considering how things worked out, as they immediately won back to back Stanley Cups with a third just 4 years later in 2002.
Shanahan was later elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame and made it clear he wanted to be known for his years with the Red Wings despite having also played for the New Jersey Devils (2 separate stints), St. Louis Blues, Whalers and New York Rangers.
Previously on Red Wings Insider
POLL |
MAI 5 | 80 ANSWERS Detroit Red Wings learn their fate in the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery Are you surprised that the Red Wings still have not had a top-3 pick in several decades? |
I'm not surprised, the NHL hates Detroit | 65 | 81.3 % |
That's just the way it goes | 15 | 18.8 % |
List of polls |