The San Jose Sharks have secured the top spot in the NHL Draft lottery, granting them the opportunity to select first overall on June 28th at the Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada. Meanwhile, the NY Islanders, not part of the lottery, will be making the 18th pick.

This marks the Sharks’ inaugural first overall pick, with the highly anticipated choice likely to be Macklin Celebrini, who is poised to become the first-ever Hobey Baker Award recipient selected first overall. Celebrini, a mere 17 years old, concluded his freshman campaign at Boston University as the nation’s third-highest scorer.

If Lou Lamoriello and his team opt to retain the pick, they’ll likely choose 18th – though that’s still uncertain. The Islanders haven’t chosen in the first round since 2019 when they picked Simon Holmstrom at 23rd overall. Out of the four subsequent picks, three were traded during the season to acquire JG Pageau, Kyle Palmieri, and Bo Horvat. In 2022, they went into the draft with their pick intact but traded it to acquire Alexander Romanov from the Montreal Canadiens.

If Lou Lamoriello and his team decide to hold onto the pick, they’ll probably select 18th, although there’s still some uncertainty surrounding that decision. The Islanders haven’t made a first-round pick since 2019, when they chose Simon Holmstrom at 23rd overall. Since then, three out of the four subsequent picks were traded mid-season to acquire JG Pageau, Kyle Palmieri, and Bo Horvat. In 2022, they entered the draft with their pick but ultimately traded it to acquire Alexander Romanov from the Montreal Canadiens.