Islanders out of luck in 2026 NHL Draft Lottery

After a remarkable stroke of luck last season, the New York Islanders could not capture lightning in a bottle twice.

The draw took place to determine which teams would walk away with the first and second-overall picks. Unfortunately, the Islanders did not move from their position at #13 following the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery.

In a stunning development, the Toronto Maple Leafs won the first draw, landing the top pick. Meanwhile, another shocking turn of events led the San Jose Sharks to move up seven spots to get the second-overall selection.

The Vancouver Canucks, who entered the Draft Lottery with the best odds of winning, ended up third.

The Chicago Blackhawks and New York Rangers rounded out the top five. If it’s any consolation for Islanders fans, the crosstown Rangers actually dropped two spots. The Blueshirts were on track to claim the third overall pick. But since Toronto and San Jose jumped in front of them, the Rangers dropped down the chute.

With the Isles picking 13th, the focus will become on what the club will do. The 2026 NHL Draft is supposed to be the deepest in years. Some analysts believe the top 15 to 20 picks could yield solid NHLers.

That situation should offer some solace to Isles’ fans who hoped the club could at least move up in the draft order.

The coming days will determine what sort of discussion there will be regarding which players the Islanders can target with their first-rounder in 2026.

Given how wildly successful last year’s draft was, Mathieu Darche will be looking to follow that up with an equally profitable selection this year. There’s certainly an opportunity to land further complementary pieces to what looks to be a budding young core headlined by Calder Trophy nominee Matthew Schaefer.

The 2026 NHL Draft will be on June 26-27 at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo.

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