The NHL Draft consists of seven rounds, with each of the 32 teams holding one pick per round — 224 total selections in a standard draft. The draft takes place over two days: Round 1 on Day One (Friday evening), and Rounds 2–7 on Day Two (Saturday).
To be eligible for the NHL Draft, a player must meet one of the following criteria:
- Age 18 by September 15 of the draft year — the primary eligibility rule. Most drafted players are 17 or 18 years old.
- Non-North American players (born in Europe, Russia, etc.) who are 18–20 years old and were not previously drafted.
- Previously undrafted players up to age 20 can re-enter the draft. These "overage" players are eligible if they were passed over in a prior year.
Players cannot be drafted more than once. If a team drafts a player and that player doesn't sign within a set window (...
The draft order is determined by a combination of regular-season standings and the draft lottery.
Non-Playoff Teams (Picks 1–16): The 16 teams that miss the playoffs are ordered by points percentage (worst to best). However, the top two picks are determined by the Draft Lottery, which gives every non-playoff team a weighted chance at the #1 and #2 picks. No team can move down more than 10 spots from their pre-lottery position.
Playoff Teams (Picks 17–32): Teams eliminated in the first round pick 17–24, ordered by regular-season points. Second-round losers pick 25–28, conferen...
Teams can trade draft picks — and frequently do. A team might trade their first-round pick years in advance as part of a deal for an established NHL player. Traded picks carry conditions in some cases — for example, a pick might be "lottery protected," meaning if the trading team lands in the top 5 via the lottery, they keep the pick and send a future pick instead.
2026 Draft example: Toronto's first-round pick was traded to Boston, but it's top-5 protected. If Toronto wins the lottery and picks in the top 5, they keep the pick and send Boston their 2027 first-rounder instead. Florida...