The New York Islanders entered the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery with no more than a 3.5% chance of landing the top pick. With ball No. 13 completing the winning combination of 7-11-12-13 on Monday, they racked up a monumental achievement as they had never had an overall No. 1 pick of their own since 2009. What a situation to have followed a chaotic day that started with fans protesting the loss of the 2026 All-Star Game in favor of an ‘international event,’ as ESPN had put it.
The attention of the Islanders will thus accordingly turn to the offseason, where not only must they find a way to replace long-time GM Lou Lamoriello but also make tough decisions on how to better their 35-35-12 record of last season. Before the event earlier this week, Bleacher Report’s Joe Yerdon had already outlined trades for each of the potential lottery winners, making Yerdon’s remarks of particular importance now that the Islanders have secured the coveted top pick from the lottery.
He said, “If the Islanders’ 3.5% chance of winning the No. 1 pick comes through, it’ll be a massive test for whoever winds up being the team’s next general manager.” The new GM will have to handle the mess left behind by Lamoriello and really work on getting the team to score goals. Yerdon cited the Islanders’ projected cap space of $30 million (or $28.3 million per PuckPedia) but warned that up to nine roster spots may yet require filling.
Any work to trade away core players to improve the offence could complicate matters for the franchise even further. The core presently consists of Barzal, Ilya Sorokin, and Noah Dobson, with leading youngsters Cole Eiserman and Calum Ritchie. By virtue of having No. 1 pick status, and with top draft-eligible players like Matthew Schaefer, Michael Misa, and James Hagens awaiting selection, the new GM now has an instant chance to breathe life into this franchise.
NHL fans could check out Sportsbyte’s specially curated analysis on the journey and struggles facing NHL draft teams to the Stanley Cup and what it takes to win.