Detroit Red Wings
Red Wings Continue Run of Bad Draft Lottery Luck
Maybe Steve Yzerman used up all of his puck luck when he was a Hall of Fame player, because he has no hockey luck as a general manager.
The Red Wings owned an 85.7% chance of keeping their No. 12 pick. They didn’t have any chance of moving up to No. 1 because only the 11 worst teams qualify to move up. According to tankathon.com, the Red Wings only had an 8.9% of dropping in the draft.
Of course that’s what occurred.
The Utah Hockey Club won the second phase of draft lottery. Because they were not in the bottom 11, the team couldn’t move to the No. 2 pick. But it moved up 10 picks, from 14th to the fourth, pushing Detroit to 13th.
Islanders 3, Red Wings 0
The New York Islanders won the draft lottery for the No. 1 pick, moving up from 10th to first in the 2025 draft.
It’s anyone’s guess whether Detroit’s drop of one spot will matter. Sam Cosentino of Sportsnet said on Sirius Radio Monday that he thought there were 12 top prospects and then it becomes more guesswork.
But every year a player or two falls out of the top 10 that was supposed to be there. Plus, the Red Wings’ evaluations may not be in line with the general consensus.
Desirable players who could be available when the Red Wings draft at No. 13 include Czechia 6-foot-6 defenseman Radim Mrtka, center/wing Carter Bear (Everett, WHL) and left wing Lynden Lakovic (Moose Jaw, WHL).
More on Red Wings potential draft picks.
What is true is the Red Wings have never won the draft lottery. Detroit fans have always been disappointed by Yzerman’s lottery luck, although it’s hard to complain about his results. When the Red Wings slipped to No. 6 in 2019, Yzerman landed Moritz Seider and when he fell to No. 4 a year later, he landed Lucas Raymond,
Islanders Not in Playoff Drought
This was the third time that the Islanders have won the No. 1 pick through the draft lottery. In 2009, they won and drafted John Tavares. However, it that year, the Islanders had the worst record and merely retained the No. 1 pick.
The Islanders, who recently dismissed their general manager Lou Lamoriello, also won the draft lottery in 2005 when they moved up from fifth to first and claimed Rick DiPietro.
What also frustrates fans is that history isn’t factored in. The Red Wings have missed the playoffs for nine consecutive seasons. The Islanders win the lottery by missing the playoffs this season. Before this season, the Islanders were in the postseason five out of six seasons.
