New York Islanders win draft lottery for 1st time since 2009 - ESPN

SECAUCUS, N.J. — The New York Islanders won the NHL draft lottery on Monday and vaulted nine teams, including the last-place San Jose Sharks, in winning the opportunity to have the No. 1 pick.

The Islanders, who finished 10th in the standings and are in the midst of a front-office change, overcame having just a 3.5% chance to winning the lottery. New York has the right to pick first for the fifth time in team history, and first since selecting center John Tavares with the No. 1 pick in 2009.

Back then, the struggling Islanders played in an aging arena in Uniondale, New York. They now call the UBS Arena home — a state-of-the-art facility located at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York that opened in 2021 — home, and this draft pick figures to boost buzz around a team that finished 35-35-12 this seaosn, with 82 points, seven away from the final playoff berth in the East.

If the Islanders hang on to the choice, it would be the fifth time in franchise history that the club selected at No. 1. In addition to Tavares, the Islanders chose Rick DiPietro in 2000, Denis Potvin in 1973, and Billy Harris in 1972.

The Utah Hockey Club won the second lottery drawing and made the jump from 14th to fourth under the rules limiting teams from moving up no more than 10 spots in the draft order.

The Sharks will pick second after entering the day with the best odds, 18.5%, to win the lottery and a 25.5% chance of landing the No. 1 choice. San Jose, which finished last for a second consecutive year, was seeking to become the NHL's first team to win the lottery and pick first in consecutive years.

The Chicago Blackhawks had the second-best chances to win the lottery and will pick third.

The Islanders' jump from 10th to first is the biggest