So, you’re saying there’s a chance.
The 2026 NHL Draft Lottery takes place on Tuesday night, and while the Nashville Predators don’t have the greatest chance to earn the first overall pick in next month’s Draft, they are certainly in the mix.
The Preds enter the Lottery, which will be broadcast live at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN, with a 3.5 percent chance at winning the top selection. Nashville is currently slotted 10th among teams with an opportunity at the first pick, and it owns 35 of the 1,001 possible lottery ball combinations, hence the 3.5 percent chance.
The most likely outcome for the Preds is to remain in the 10th spot with a 73.3 percent chance to do so, according to TSN’s Draft Lottery simulator. There is an 18.4 percent chance for the Predators to move back to the 11th overall pick, and a 3.7 percent chance to select second.
From the NHL, some explainer points on how the Lottery is managed:
- As each lottery ball is drawn, odds will change and teams will be eliminated. The viewing audience will learn which teams still are in the running in real time.
- The Draft Lottery will determine the order of selection for the first 16 picks in the first round of the 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft.
- Participants are all teams that did not qualify for the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs (or the teams that have acquired the first-round drafting positions of those non-playoff teams).
- The Draft Lottery will be conducted in two phases, the first to determine the first overall pick in the 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft and the second to determine the second overall pick.
- REMINDER: The NHL announced changes to the Draft Lottery format on March 23, 2021. Among the changes in effect since 2022 is a limit on the total number of selections (10) a team participating in the Draft Lottery can “move up” in the event it wins one of the Lottery Draws. Thus, only the top 11 seeds will be eligible to receive the first overall selection in the 2026 Upper Deck NHL Draft.
While there are nine teams ahead of Nashville that have better odds, the New York Islanders were ranked 10th last year with the same odds as the Preds - and they won the 2025 Lottery. Suffice to say, anything can happen.
Nashville currently owns 12 picks in the 2026 NHL Draft – three in the fifth round; two in the second, third and fourth rounds; and one in each of the first, sixth and seventh rounds.
The Preds are hosting a Draft Lottery Watch Party on Tuesday at BetMGM Sports Lounge inside Bridgestone Arena at 5:30 p.m. CT. Join for a chance to win one of 35 Preds prizes, including a 2026-27 Quarter Season Ticket Plan.
Catch the Draft Lottery on Tuesday night on ESPN at 6 p.m. CT, and then stay tuned to NashvillePredators.com throughout the next two months as the Preds prepare to make their selections in the first round and beyond.
